Turnabout Savior
by joshuaorrizonte
Summary: Life is on an upswing for Phoenix Wright, and it seems that things can only get better from here. That is, until he discovers that two friends near his heart have seemingly vanished into thin air... Post-Apollo Justice
1. Chapter 1

_August 15, 9:27 AM _

_Detention Center_

"Please, Mr. Gavin! You have to believe me!"

"I do. I believe you, Fraulein Wright. I believe you."

"I didn't kill him! I could _never_-"

"I know, Fraulein. It will be okay. We don't even have his body, Trucy-"

"Because he's _alive!_"

"… Trucy. He was _shot_ on Dusky Bridge and fell forty feet into the Eagle River."

"…"

"… Trucy… Answer me. Honestly, please. Did you shoot Phoenix Wright?"

"_No!_"

"… as long as his body is missing, I won't prosecute anyone. And if he's found, I'm positive his autopsy will prove that you are innocent."

"Mr. Gavin, _please_. Daddy's still alive. I know it! Please, keep searching for him!"

"We are, Trucy, we are. Sit tight, Fraulein. I'll see if I can get you out of here. You've been through enough already."

"… Daddy…"

* * *

_July 15, 12:02 PM_

Life couldn't get any better for Phoenix Wright. He had been exonerated of any wrongdoing, half a year ago. He was almost prepared to retake his Bar exam, and he was getting better at playing the piano as well, courtesy of Prosecutor Klavier Gavin. He hadn't given up his job at the Borscht Bowl Club- at this point, he'd have felt intensely guilty if he did, since after the media circus died down following that landmark trial, the restaurant became extremely popular.

But it was much more a part-time job now. Gavin had, two weeks after that trial, offered him a temporary job at the Prosecutor's office: help Gavin sift through his case files, and root out the ones that Kristoph could have conceivably tainted. "He ruined at least three lives with _that_ case," Klavier explained. "I want to ensure he didn't do it again. He did offer advice on occasion, after all. For my own peace of mind, I want to make sure there aren't any innocents rotting in prison because I listened to him."

They rarely worried about money anymore. They weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but all of the bills got paid, on time. Apollo chose to join Phoenix and Trucy, proclaiming that they needed a proper home, instead of using the office for that. They couldn't afford anything bigger than a two-bedroom apartment, but it seemed that Apollo and Phoenix got along fine in the larger room.

And now, with the dark publicity surrounding Phoenix lifted, letters from Maya started coming with increasing frequency. They had corresponded throughout those terrible seven years, but only when Maya could "get away with it." If she was caught associating with _that kind_ of man, she'd have trouble on her hands. She resisted him at first, but Phoenix insisted that they cut back their communication to a level that wouldn't create friction in Kurain.

The Steel Samurai and Pink Princess DVDs were one of the ways that the new Kurain Master maintained contact with him. That was her last idea, the last excuse she could come up with before the elders would catch on to how ridiculous her reasons for contacting the disgraced attorney actually were. Phoenix thanked the heavens that his name was cleared before sending that last "report" on the episodes to her.

He didn't appreciate that he now seemed to be something of a fan of the series, nor did he appreciate that Maya's grand idea for their reunion would take place at a convention dedicated to those shows, and a handful of similar ones. But he really couldn't complain. He was finally getting to see her again. Finally.

Trucy had taken a shining to those two strange kids shows, and wouldn't be left behind; Apollo, proclaiming that he needed a break, opted to join him, as well. As the unaware siblings pointed out various things to each other, and Apollo occasionally scolded Trucy to behave herself, Phoenix grinned. Maya knew about both of them, but he didn't think she'd consider the possibility that they'd be with him today.

A light, feminine voice broke Phoenix's thoughts. "Mr. Nick?"

It was familiar. A little more mature, a little less hyper, but definitely familiar. Phoenix turned to the sound of the voice in the crowd, his eyes settling on a young woman, a little older than Trucy, with light brown hair that hung around her shoulders, wide curious eyes, and a mischievous smile. "Pearls?" he asked. He couldn't be sure; this young woman wore _normal_ clothes, something that he wasn't accustomed to at all.

The girl laughed. "You sound overwhelmed, Mr. Nick," she said with a grin. "Don't tell me you thought I'd keep that ridiculous knot on my head forever."

Phoenix chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, but I kinda did think you'd stay a little girl forever."

"Heh. I still am, compared to you, it seems."

"No age jokes, please," Phoenix said plaintively.

"Daddy? Are you going to introduce us?" Trucy prompted, kindly but firmly.

The woman Phoenix called Pearls' eyes widened. "'Daddy'?" she repeated.

If it was at all possible, Phoenix's grin broadened. "Pearls, this is Trucy, my daughter," he said smoothly, ignoring the stunned expression on her face. "And this is Apollo, my-" he cut himself off, gazing at the young man, as if searching for something.

His expression wasn't lost on the attorney. "What?"

"Hmm…" Phoenix came to a conclusion on his own, and said, "This is Apollo, my little brother."

Trucy laughed. "But you said you were an only child!" Pearl protested, while Apollo repeated Phoenix's assertion incredulously. Phoenix smirked sheepishly at the younger man and said, "Well, you're too old to be my son, you know."

"And Trucy is too old to be your daughter," Apollo miffed.

"Not really. I was eighteen when she was born, so it's possible. But are you telling me you_ want_ to be my son?"

"Little brother is fine," Apollo said quickly. "But I'm your employee. Why does there have to be a special relationship there?"

"Because there is," Phoenix answered, his grin widening.

Trucy was still giggling as Pearl eyed the three of them. "You've got some 'splaining to do, Mr. Nick," she said firmly, tapping a foot on the floor.

He assumed she meant Trucy. "I adopted her, Pearls," Phoenix answered, his tone amused. "Come on now- did I ever even have a girlfriend when I was with you? Surely if I had a child, you'd have known about her."

"But that doesn't mean he's any less my Daddy," Trucy added quickly.

"O-of course not." Pearl was still a bit stunned. "But yes, Mr. Nick, you did have a girlfriend."

Phoenix's face fell. "You're still hanging onto that fantasy of yours, aren't you?"

Pearl advanced on him, her shock wearing off. She got right in front of him, looking up at him with an impish grin. "Yes, Mr. Nick," she said, her voice mildly mocking, "And I'll hang onto it until it comes true."

"You've got some waiting to do, Pearls," he said dryly, looking away uncomfortably. "Well, are you going to tell me where she is or not?"

Trucy and Apollo exchanged confused looks when the other teenager laughed merrily. "You know that tone doesn't work on me!" she giggled. "Whatever. She's already by the concessions, pretty sure she couldn't wait for you."

"Why am I not surprised…"

As Pearl lead them to where she had left her companion, Trucy skipped forward to walk with her. "I meant to tell you," Pearl commented, when Trucy was next to her. "Your outfit is just so adorable!"

"Thanks!" Trucy said, her face flushing with pleasure. "I'm a magician. The last Gramarye, even!"

Pearl's jaw dropped. "You're _kidding_! You mean you're part of _the_ Gramaryes?"

"Yup!" Trucy preened for a moment in childish pride, and then grew serious. "What was that girlfriend business back there? Did you have a crush on him or something?"

Pearl laughed, and Trucy decided that she liked this old friend of her Daddy's, very much. "No! Well… maybe a little, but he was far too old for me. He still is," she giggled. "No, I meant Master Maya, the woman you're all here to see. They both deny anything happened between them, but I know better."

As Pearl flashed Trucy a knowing grin, Trucy couldn't help but think that if _both_ of them denied that there was a romantic interest, then there wasn't one. Still, she filed that little tidbit of information away. Perhaps if she liked this Maya, she might be able to trick Daddy into getting her a new Mommy…

Behind them, Phoenix halted his conversation with Apollo briefly to call, "Stop poisoning the well, Pearls. I heard that."

_Heh. Perhaps not_.

* * *

Maya Fey was starting to get worried. Not that she needed to be worried; her little cousin always had a wonderful sense of direction, even able to find her way from Kurain Village to Phoenix's office on foot when they were all still a team. Pearl wouldn't get lost in a convention center, no matter how big or crowded it was.

But Phoenix might. He had always been a bit easily overwhelmed.

As Maya left her table to buy a funnel cake, she turned over another possibility in her head: that Nick had just changed so much that Pearly wouldn't recognize him. Since Pearly insisted on wearing secular clothing, and wore her hair down now, she could just about guarantee that Nick wouldn't recognize her. Maybe if he saw her Magatama, he would, but in this press of people, on a glance, Nick would only see another Steel Samurai fangirl, and that's all he would give anyone unless they stood out.

_I should have insisted that we exchange pictures,_ Maya thought as she sullenly munched on her funnel cake. _Why didn't I insist that he send me a picture?_

"Oh Master Maaaayaaaa! Look what I found, can I keep them?"

Maya looked up to see her cousin leading a group of three people. At first, she didn't recognize any of them, and was about to ask their names, when the oldest, a man of about thirty, took his blue beanie hat off, revealing a mess of spiky black hair. "Phoenix!" she gasped, ignoring her cousin and their younger companions. She jumped up from her seat and dove into his arms, causing a surprised laugh from the former lawyer. "I missed you too," he said quietly as he returned her embrace. The huskiness of suppressed emotion in his voice made her feel better; she didn't feel quite so stupid for sobbing like an infant into his chest knowing that he was close to tears, too.

Maya laughed, fighting her tears of joy away and taking care to make sure she had control of herself again before she pulled away from him. Phoenix was in a similar predicament, and as Maya backed away from him, he wiped his face with the back of his hand. "You got my shirt wet, you know," he informed her with a boyish grin.

"Yeah, well, you got my face wet!" Maya retorted with a short laugh. At that point, Maya turned her attention to the other two people Pearl had escorted there. "You two must be Trucy and Apollo," she said with a smile.

Trucy shook the woman's hand, looking slightly puzzled, and then Apollo. He was the one who voiced their confusion: "You know us?"

"Of course I do," Maya commented happily. "Nick wrote about you both in his letters. Plus, that trial was televised; I actually watched it with Miles," she added, with a glace up at Phoenix.

Phoenix flushed. "Miles saw it?"

"Yep! He was quite impressed, I must say. Muttered at you a bit for making his job harder, but he was very pleased that this new Jurist system had worked."

The former attorney chuckled and beamed proudly as Maya turned back to his younger companions. "And it seems we owe an awful lot to you too, as well. Thank you."

Apollo blushed and looked away, stammering that it was really no big deal, while Trucy smiled broader, if that was possible, and said, "Daddy and Polly did it all. I was just along for the ride."

Maya grinned. "I somehow doubt that, Trucy. When we were planning this get-together, Phoenix mentioned that he was going to try to influence you to go into law instead of showbiz."

Phoenix immediately snapped Maya's name in horror as Trucy turned on him. "Daddy!" she snapped. "Is that true?!"

"Of course not, Sweetheart!"

"Don't lie to me, you know I can see right through you!" Trucy pointed at him accusingly.

Phoenix laughed at this, and once he'd gotten control of his chuckles, he said, "And that's exactly why you'd make an excellent lawyer, Trucy."

The girl stretched. "Yeah, well, with this new Jurist System you've planted, I think I'd rather be a prosecutor. More challenging."

"Don't you dare."

The whole group laughed at this exchange, and Maya finally said, "Well, I'm famished! Let's get some grub!"

Phoenix glanced at the table, where the remains of several snacks lay. "It looks like you've already eaten," he said, confirming Pearl's earlier statement.

"Yeah, but I've got a second stomach for Samurai Dogs."

Apollo and Trucy exchanged glances as Pearl laughed and Phoenix groaned. "You still haven't grown out of that?" he demanded.

"Second stomach?" Apollo asked, bewildered, as Maya laughed.

"Don't ask," Phoenix muttered. "Just… don't ask."

* * *

The gathering had been fun. Loose plans for a visit to Kurain were already in place, with a promise that Maya would call within the week to solidify it. Phoenix had already informed Prosecutor Gavin that he was taking "his kids" on a vacation and needed time off. Klavier just grinned. "Just let me know when, Herr Wright," he replied smoothly. "You three richly deserve a little downtime, I think."

Klavier noticed that Phoenix was a little more upbeat than he usually was as the morning progressed. The man was always cheerful, but his good mood was almost over the top today. _Well, good for him_, Klavier thought to himself as he worked on a current case. _I ruined his life. The least I owe him is to let him be happy._

At this, Klavier frowned. He'd avoided thinking about the implications that fateful trial had, but thinking about how Phoenix's fall from grace was a result of his actions stung. It wasn't just the disgraced attorney he'd ruined. Trucy, Zak Enigmar, and if he stretched it, Valant Gramarye were also victims of this seven-year long fiasco. All because he was foolish and inexperienced enough not to question his brother.

"Mr. Gavin? Are you okay? You look kind of upset."

Klavier snapped out of his brooding and nodded with a little chuckle. "Ja, Herr Wright. I've just got a lot on my mind right now."

Based on the older man's expression, Klavier assumed that Phoenix understood what he referred to. "None of it was your fault," Phoenix said gently. "You were doing your job and made a mistake."

"A mistake that destroyed people," Klavier replied sullenly.

"Yes," Phoenix agreed, turning back to the shelves of files he was currently skimming through. "But you're doing your best to correct that mistake. That says something. Plus, the best way to get experience is through mistakes."

"I appreciate your candor, Herr Wright," Klavier said with a small smile, "but you needn't try to make me feel better, really."

"If you say so." Silence but for the sounds of paperwork being done descended in the office again, as Klavier returned to his case file and Phoenix resumed flipping through old files and tossing them into one pile or another, depending on whether he thought it should be looked at closer or not. Fortunately, the stack of files Phoenix wanted to investigate remained very small compared to the ones he did not.

It was repetitious, and soon Phoenix's gaze was wandering the room between checking folders. As he absently reached for the next one, his eyes fixed on the bookcase next to him, and he froze. "Mr. Gavin?" Klavier looked up, and Phoenix asked, "What's that set of files?"

"Missing persons," Klavier answered. "Why?"

At this, Phoenix looked at the prosecutor, his expression horrified. "Can I look at one of those files?" he asked. If they didn't involve crimes that had been prosecuted, he had no business touching them. So why was he so interested, so suddenly. "Ja, go ahead," Klavier answered. As Phoenix pulled the files he seemed so concerned about, Klavier asked quietly, "Herr Wright? Is something wrong?"

Phoenix opened the first one. "Yes," he answered as his eyes scanned the report for buzz words, like "foul play". Not finding any, he snapped the first folder shut and went for the second one.

"Fill me in. What's going on?"

The disbarred attorney looked up, closing the file and hugging it to himself. "These two missing persons are friends of mine," he said softly.

"… Let me see them," Klavier ordered. Phoenix complied, handing both files to the prosecutor. He did the same thing Phoenix did, scanning them quickly. "Well, there was no evidence of violence or resistance that we could find," Klavier said. "Looks like they were reported missing after a nun at Hazakura Temple noticed that they hadn't returned from a hike they went on together."

"I… see… How long have they been missing?"

"About a month," the prosecutor replied. He looked up at Phoenix, his expression sympathetic. "This is a really bad way to find out about something like this, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Phoenix replied dryly. "I'll put it back for you."

"Don't worry about it, Herr Wright," Klavier said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's almost time to close up shop anyway. You go on ahead, you look like you need a drink after that."

"Are you sure?"

"Ja, Herr Wright. Go on, I'll finish up here."

"Thanks, Mr. Gavin."

And with that, Phoenix was gone. Klavier watched the man leave and close the door behind him, his shoulders slumped slightly. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he picked up the phone and dialed an extension he normally hated dialing.

"_Hello, Detective Skye speaking."_

"Good evening, Fraulein Skye," Klavier greeted warmly, knowing full well the woman at the other end of the line was going to ice up as soon as she recognized his voice. "I have a bit of a request for you, if you've got the time to hang around the office a little longer."

He heard the long-suffered sigh, despite Ema's valiant effort to mask it. "_What can I do for you, Mr. Gavin_?"

"I know this isn't your usual department, but I was wondering if you could look into two missing persons; they disappeared at the same time."

When Ema spoke again, her contempt was replaced with professionalism and a hint of surprise. "_Their names_?"

"Larry Butz- also known as Laurice Deauxnim- and Iris Hawthorne."

"_Hang on._" There was the sound of typing at a computer, and then: "_Okay, I've got their file up._"

"What's the status on that case?"

"_Cold_," Ema replied. "_They've searched the whole area several times, and dragged fifteen miles of the Eagle River each way from Dusky Bridge. No clues."_

Klavier drummed his fingers on his desk as he thought. "What are the current missing persons reports like? Any missing babies or old women or anything like that?"

"_... No. The last reported missing person was a runaway teenager, he was caught and returned within a day of being reported missing."_

"In that case," Klavier said, "Butz and Hawthorne have just become that department's top priority, and yours. I'll reassign your current cases. I want you to find them, Fraulein Skye. You're the only detective I trust to be able to do this."

"_But-!" _Ema sputtered for a moment, shocked by this order and clearly not liking it. "_Mr. Gavin, I'm working on several murder cases right now! You can't just yank me off them to look into a cold case like this!_"

Klavier hesitated, not refuting her immediately. He needed to give her a reason to want to do this. He thought he had one that was good enough, but... When Skye prompted him for a response, he said, "These two people are friends of Phoenix Wright. Pretty good friends, based on his reaction to seeing the file on them in my records. I'd like to do something for him, after all he's been through... don't you agree, Detective Skye?"

"_Phoenix... Fine, I'll do it. But I'm doing it for Wright, not you_."

"Of course, Fraulein," Klavier conceded with a slight smile. "Find them, Ema. He's counting on you."


	2. Chapter 2

Apollo glanced up at the clock, a bit nervously. Mr. Wright was sometimes late getting home, but he usually walked in minutes after Apollo and Trucy did, at the latest. Apollo did his best to focus on a case he was working on, while Trucy laid on her stomach in the living room, reading a high school textbook.

The attorney skimmed a few more lines of the affidavit he was examining before his eyes darted back to the clock. Mr. Wright was now fifteen minutes and forty seconds later than the latest he had ever been late. "Trucy," Apollo said, after clearing his throat. He'd skipped his Chords of Steel practice that night. It was no fun if Mr. Wright wasn't there to complain about it. "How long should we wait for your Dad before we have dinner?"

Trucy looked at her watch. "If we don't eat soon, he'll probably get mad at us for waiting," she replied sullenly, dragging herself to her knees. "I'm getting worried, Polly."

"He's fine, Trucy. If something were wrong, we'd know by now. Bad news travels fast."

"You don't seem so sure about that," the magician replied doubtfully.

_That's because I'm not…_ "He's fine," Apollo repeated stubbornly, his eyes flicking to the clock. Sixteen minutes. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Daddy told me he already put together something," Trucy replied, standing and stretching. "Ravioli lasagna. We just have to stick it in the oven for a bit."

_Ravioli lasagna…? _Apollo stood and the pair went to the refrigerator together. There was a baking dish on the bottom shelf, some kind of culinary atrocity that looked like it might be comprised mostly of pasta, smothered in tomato sauce and covered with cheese. Apollo took the dish out, suppressing a grimace, and asked, "What temperature and for how long?" he asked.

"I saw that look. Don't worry, it's pretty hard to mess up ravioli lasagna. And I'm not sure. I figured we'd just turn the oven all the way up and keep checking it."

At that moment, as Trucy spoke, the door to the little apartment opened. "Please do not turn the oven all the way up," Mr. Wright commented immediately. "We most certainly do not want to be responsible for the building burning down. Four-fifty, should take about fifteen minutes. Why haven't you eaten yet?"

Apollo looked back at the clock. "Why were _you_ twenty minutes late getting home?" he countered testily.

"Worried?"

"Yes!" Apollo snapped, setting the oven temperature.

Phoenix laughed. "I apologize," he said. "I had to take a detour coming home. Ah, I have a phone call to make, too. I want to see your homework after dinner, Trucy. A pretty reliable source is telling me you're not doing your art class homework until it's literally due right then."

Slightly annoyed with Phoenix for being late, Trucy scowled. "It's getting turned in on time."

"It's _home_work, Trucy, not home_room _work," Phoenix retorted as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. "And you're not doing assignments for an _elective_ when you should be? That's sad. Really. So it better be done by the time we sit down for dinner, young lady."

"Fine, fine," Trucy sighed.

Phoenix found the number he wanted and put the phone to his ear. "Cut the attitude, sweetheart. It doesn't suit you. Hello, Thalassa? It's Phoenix-"

The pair exchanged glances as Phoenix retreated into the room he shared with Apollo and closed the door behind him. "Thalassa?" Apollo asked, eyebrow raised.

"I have no idea, either," Trucy said with a shrug. She grabbed her backpack and pulled a sketch pad from it with a sigh, and sat down at the table. After a moment of glancing over a few scribbled notes, she flipped the page and started drawing.

Apollo watched for a moment, and then said, "Don't be too hard on him. I kinda suspect he just wants to see your drawings."

"You think so, Polly?"

The attorney nodded. "I was cleaning up the other day in our room, and I found some of his notes from college. He minored in art."

"_Really_? I can't let him see this, then!"

"I'm sure you can," Apollo said dryly. "He's no Picasso."

Trucy laughed and focused on her drawing. Apollo started reading his paper again, after glancing at the clock. Mr. Wright was home. Time to watch the clock more to make sure dinner didn't burn. Yet once again, the distraction was more than he wanted it to be. He was _positive_ that he'd never heard the name Thalassa in his life, and yet…

… He had a bad feeling about this. Absently, he rubbed his wrist, just below the tightening bracelet, and tried to focus on his case.

* * *

"… It's Phoenix. I need a favor."

"_Are the kids okay?_"

Phoenix cringed at the undercurrent of panic in the older woman's voice. "Yes, they're fine. I think Trucy's about to start seeing me as a villain, but it's about time. I was starting to wonder if she was going to hit _that_ phase."

"_Ugh. Teenage angst, I suppose?_"

"Not quite that bad yet. I'm sure I'll have no problem getting us through it. I don't care how bad she gets, I guarantee I was probably a thousand times worse."

The woman on the other end of the line chuckled. "_I somehow doubt that, Phoenix._"

"Heh. I see it coming, anyway. That's not actually what I called about, though."

"_What is it?_"

Phoenix lay back on his bed, toying with the Magatama he wore around his neck. Normally he kept it underneath his shirt; it was an odd piece of jewelry, at best, and he tried to stay inconspicuous. "I need you to watch them for a few days," he said after a moment's hesitation. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to take them tonight."

"… _Are _you_ okay, Phoenix?_"

The pianist laughed at this. "I'm fine, Thalassa," he reassured her. "I just have some business I have to take care of. It's rather urgent, so I'm taking the first train out there in the morning. This means getting up at about three and I'm not sure either of them would appreciate me up and moving around at that hour."

"_Yes, Apollo especially. You share a room with him, correct?_"

"Yep. He'd be chewing me out the whole time I was getting ready," Phoenix replied, a hint of affection in his voice.

"_I see. I was about to ask why you don't seem to trust Apollo to care for Trucy. He is grown, after all."_

"Well, no, he's not," Phoenix contradicted bluntly. "He's got a lot of growing up to do still. But if that were the only reason, I would just leave him in charge. I'll only be gone a few days, after all. But disturbing them that early…"

"_I understand. … This might also be a good opportunity to get to know them again."_

"Correct."

"_I'll be over in about an hour and a half. Is that okay?_"

"Sure, but you'll have to wait a bit," Phoenix said, glancing at his alarm clock. "We haven't even had dinner yet. I planned on telling them that I'm going away for a few days then, so they don't even know yet."

"_That is fine. You can give me details and contact information while they're getting ready_."

"Of course. See you at about eight-thirty, then?"

"_Yes. Enjoy your dinner_."

"Thanks. Be careful on your way here, Thalassa."

"_I will. Goodbye."_

Phoenix hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed beside him. He could hear "his kids" in the other room, setting the table and bickering. _I wonder if she's done her art assignment,_ Phoenix pondered. Perhaps he was a little too hard, expecting her to complete an assignment in ten minutes. It _was_ a high school class, elective or not.

Then, out of nowhere: _Heh. Apollo would have a fit if he knew I referred to him as "my kid". Even if it is only to myself._

He couldn't help it, really. When they'd met, Apollo was a tool to be manipulated. Of course, Phoenix still always saw him as a human being, and would have never done something to bring the young lawyer to harm. But he needed a way- _some_ way- to get his foot back in the door. A pile of evidence was useless without a way and a reason to present it. Apollo was his way. And Drew Misham, unfortunately, was his reason.

Phoenix deeply regretted that it was ultimately the murder of a human being that cleared his name. He almost wished that, if that was the only way, that it hadn't happened. But it had, and the absolute best of the situation had been made. And, somewhere along that path, the purely humanistic concern he held for Apollo grew to something more. He wasn't sure when or how it happened, but somewhere along the line, Apollo became just as much Phoenix's child as Trucy was.

Not that it was a bad thing. They made him happy, both of them. As long as they were happy and content, he was as well. Their wellbeing was all he wanted.

As he sat up, the weight of the Magatama against his chest made him reconsider that assertion. _Well. Almost all that I want._

A knock on the bedroom door snapped Phoenix from his ruminations. "Mr. Wright? Dinner's up."

Phoenix stood and opened the bedroom door. "Thanks, Apollo," he said kindly. "You do realize that's your room, too. You don't have to knock."

Apollo huffed. "Excuse me for realizing that you wanted privacy," he muttered, and Phoenix laughed.

"You're so easy, Apollo!" the older man teased. "I appreciate it, really. I do."

As the two sat down at the table, Trucy finished unceremoniously dumping portions onto their plates. "Who did you call, Daddy?" she prompted, setting the dish on the counter and taking her own seat.

Phoenix looked at Apollo and pointed at Trucy. "This one, now, has no concept of respecting someone's wish for privacy. I guess I have to apologize to you for ribbing you now, Apollo."

"Daddy!" Trucy whined.

"You _do_ delight in getting a rise out of us, don't you?" Apollo commented dryly.

"Only because I love you."

"Likely story," was the attorney's response, right before taking a drink of his water.

"Nothing but the truth," Phoenix said airily. "Although I guess I should tell you who that was, since you're spending a few days with her."

Apollo choked on the mouthful of food he was swallowing. Phoenix slapped him firmly on the back, and after coughing a few times, the attorney managed to gasp, "What's this about?"

"I found out about a situation today at work," Phoenix told them seriously. "I'm going away for a few days to deal with it. It's quite urgent; I don't have time to plan better. I have to go _now_. I'll be taking the first train out of town tomorrow morning, which means I'll be up practically in the middle of the night. You two will be staying with a friend of mine, Thalassa, until I get back."

Trucy looked from Phoenix to Apollo and back. "But why can't we come with you?" the girl asked.

_Because I'm looking for two missing people who __**may**__ have been murdered..._ "So you mean you don't mind getting up at three in the morning?" Phoenix inquired in a sugary-sweet tone.

Trucy stared at her foster father for a moment, and then started eating her dinner without a word. Apollo watched this exchange blankly. Phoenix smiled to himself and took a few bites of his own dinner; once he'd taken a drink from his glass of water, Apollo prompted, "But why do we have to stay with someone? It's not like you've never left me in charge before."

Phoenix cleared his throat, and then repeated, in that same sugary tone, "So you mean you don't mind getting up at three in the morning?" Apollo sighed and focused on his dinner. The pianist looked from one youth to the other, his grin growing. "Wow. That was easier than I thought it would be! Thanks for being so understanding about this, guys."

* * *

The doorbell rang out, interrupting the packing the two youths were doing. Phoenix himself wasn't sure how long he'd be away, but they could always come back to the apartment if they needed to. Plus, Phoenix wasn't really adverse to them returning tomorrow; his primary concern was to make sure he didn't disturb them as he was leaving. None the less, they both needed at least one change of clothes; hence the packing.

Apollo was almost finished, and as he heard his employer greet the visitor warmly, he couldn't resist. The attorney poked his head out of the bedroom and then entered the living room, trying to pretend to be confident. "Thalassa," Phoenix said as Apollo approached. "This is Apollo Justice. Apollo, Thalassa."

The auburn-haired woman held out a hand to him. "It is a pleasure, Mr. Justice," she said.

At that moment, Apollo noticed two things. The first was that she was wearing a bracelet that looked _exactly_ like his. The second, that she had a very thick accent, and he _knew_ her voice. After a moment of thought, he blurted out, "Lamiroir?"

The attorney noted that his bracelet constricted suddenly, and he glanced at Phoenix. The other man briefly appeared stunned, but his face quickly went blank and he said blandly, "Surprised?"

Phoenix's confirmation of the woman's identity- and the woman's laugh- disarmed him. "When did you become friends with Lamiroir?" he asked, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two older adults.

"Shortly after Machi's acquittal," the woman replied, with an affectionate glance at Phoenix. "He assisted me in finding a physician who could restore my sight."

"Nice," Apollo said with an approving grin. The glance wasn't lost on the young attorney, but he didn't press it. "So why does Mr. Wright call you 'Thalassa'?"

At this, the two looked at each other, and Apollo's bracelet constricted further; it was starting to get painful. He absently rubbed his wrist as he watched the unspoken communication between the two; somehow, Apollo knew they were silently debating how to answer him. "Apparently when she regained her sight," Phoenix answered finally, "her memory was restored as well. Well, as much as possible, given the circumstances. One of the things she could remember was her name."

"It's a pretty name," Apollo said with a nod, wishing his bracelet would stop trying to murder his hand. He intended on asking about Thalassa's bracelet, but either Phoenix or Thalassa- or both- were extremely nervous for some reason and it was making _him_ uncomfortable. He'd ask about the bracelet later. "Well, it's great to see you again, Miss Thalassa. I'm just going to go finish getting my stuff together and see how Trucy's doing, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," Phoenix confirmed, and Apollo retreated. The man watched him as he disappeared back into their room, and sighed heavily. "I didn't consider that he'd recognize your voice. That was close."

"It was," Thalassa murmured in agreement. "Let me ask you: do you object to me telling them tonight?"

Phoenix shook his head absently. "Even if I did, it's not my place to," he answered, still watching the doorway Apollo had retreated into.

This statement bothered Thalassa deeply. "Of course it is your place to," she countered. "You are their father! I'm asking you, parent to parent."

The former lawyer smiled. "I raised Trucy," he countered. "I can't honestly make any claim of the sort for Apollo."

"It's about what's in your heart, Phoenix. Yes, you can make that claim for Apollo. You love them both as though they were your own. Therefore, they are."

Phoenix chuckled, his face flushing a bit. "That's extremely high praise, Thalassa. I'm flattered."

Thalassa nodded and smiled. "I speak only the truth. Now that your paternal insecurities are soothed, please answer my question."

At this, Phoenix laughed out loud. "No, I can't see how telling them would be harmful, honestly. I'll be worried about their reaction in case they need me, but they could as easily get pissed off at me." He eyed her, that relaxed smile still on his lips. "Apollo, at least, will ask if I knew, and you're going to have to tell the truth, you know."

"I know," Thalassa replied, biting her bottom lip. "I wouldn't dream of lying to them about this, anyway. I'll do any damage control necessary, Phoenix. You shall not come home to discover they hate you, I promise."

"That's comforting," Phoenix replied. "All right. If you're ready, then I'm sure it's time."

"Very well." Thalassa let herself into the apartment further and seated herself on the sofa. "Now then, you have some explaining to do, Phoenix. What's going on? It's not like you to be this urgent about anything."

Phoenix sat next to her, his arms resting across his knees and his hands clasped together. "I'll try to be quick," he said, with a glance towards the bedrooms. "I found out today that two of my friends have gone missing. I'm first going to Kurain Village to visit an old friend. She'll be able to tell me if they are still alive."

"How could she do that?" Thalassa asked, surprised.

"I said I wanted to be quick," Phoenix replied with a chuckle. "She is a spirit medium and I don't think I have time to explain that, no. Depending on her answer, I'll either return home or make a trip to Hazakura Temple. If I do, I'll contact you to let you know, but you need to keep the kids in the dark about it. If they're alive, the situation could get dangerous, depending on why they're missing. I don't know that it will get dangerous, but I'd rather not risk it and they'll follow me if they know."

"Understood," Thalassa said. "I assume you'll write addresses and phone numbers I can reach you at?"

"Of course," Phoenix answered, as Apollo and Trucy emerged from Trucy's room. _When did he go to her room?_ Phoenix thought in concern. _Did he hear any of that? _"You guys ready to go?" Phoenix asked, standing.

"Yep," Apollo confirmed, hefting a rather stuffed duffel bag. Trucy herself carried her backpack and another duffel bag. "At least, we better be. I tried to explain that we weren't _moving_, but-"

"Daddy, tell him!" Trucy pouted. "I _didn't_ pack my 'whole life'! I just packed what I needed!"

Phoenix could barely resist telling the girl to stop forcing her brother to be a pack animal. "I'm not getting involved in this," he said with a chuckle, going to a tiny phone desk. He scribbled two addresses and phone numbers down. "The first contact is Kurain, and the second is Hazakura. Oh, one more thing, Thalassa..."

"Yes?" Phoenix's voice dropped dramatically in volume; Thalassa leaned in so she could hear him.

"May I borrow your bracelet? I have something of Trucy's already. I'd like to have something of Apollo's as well. I'll return it as soon as I come back."

Thalassa removed her bracelet as discreetly as she could. "You may not have fathered them," she whispered emotionally as she handed it to him, "but please, _never_ say that you are not their father. You most certainly are, Phoenix Wright."


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was bright in the morning sky as Phoenix trekked the distance remaining between Kurain and the station on foot. He hadn't notified Maya that he would be visiting; he didn't want to give her a chance to say no. Not that she'd refuse him; Phoenix suspected that he could ask for anything at all, short of murder, and Maya would try to accommodate him. This pattern actually began before he was disbarred, of course, but he'd never abused it, until now.

But was he really abusing it, he wondered idly. He was simply doing what would happen anyway. If he asked her and she said no, he'd beg for three seconds and she'd cave in like a tunnel under water. He was just skipping the minor degradation such a conversation would cause them both.

That decided, Phoenix occupied himself by paying attention to the scenery. He was almost at Kurain, close enough that he could see the village gate and Fey Manor. He wondered if they could see him, and then glanced at his watch. Almost seven in the morning. If Maya was even awake yet, it'd be a bit before she could see him, he was sure. Maybe he'd be able to weasel some breakfast and a nap out of his early arrival.

He was spotted quickly as the village began waking up and moving around. One of those who saw him was a youth; from a distance, Phoenix thought she was a teenaged girl. This was confirmed for him when he heard a sharp, high-pitched scream of, "Mr. Nick!" and the teenager dashed towards him.

Phoenix _Oof_ed as Pearl barreled into him. "Ohmygosh!" she exclaimed, barely containing her joy.

"Hi, Pearls," he said calmly, with a calm smile, as he calmly returned her hug, hoping that his calmness would settle her down quickly.

"It's only been what, a week?" Pearl said excitedly. "I knew it! You just couldn't stay away from Master Maya now that she's in your blood again. Oh, it's so romantic! Coming all this way at the crack of dawn- why, you must've had to get up in the middle of the night to catch the first train out here! How noble! And I can see, Trucy and Apollo aren't with you, so you must have wanted to ensure some quality alone-"

"Pearls."

Pearl hesitated at Phoenix's slightly amused deadpan voice. "Yes, Mr. Nick?"

"They're not with me because I'm here on business."

"… Oh. You mean you're not here to sweep Master Maya off her feet?"

"No. I'm not."

"Oh." Phoenix could barely suppress his chuckles; the poor girl sounded so, so crushed! He felt bad about it, but she had to get it through her head: Phoenix and Maya were _never_ going to be together. Maya saw him as a big brother- or little brother, if you asked her- and that was it. Pearl wasn't _too_ far off the mark about his feelings, but he'd live with it, as long as Maya was happy. _I spend far too much time trying to make other people happy,_ he mused to himself, and then said, "I'll sweep _you_ off your feet, though, if you want."

Pearl's blushed hard, and Phoenix had to repress a laugh. "M-Mr. Nick?"

"Although you might be a bit difficult to carry now… Geeze, you _have_ grown in the last seven years."

"You're not serious."

_Finally, she settled down!_ "Nah," he told her with a grin. "I'd embarrass you and give myself a hernia."

At this, Pearl fumed and Phoenix finally laughed. "And what does _that_ mean, Mr. Nick?" she demanded angrily. "I'll have you know that I'm actually _under_weight for my height-"

"And I'd still give myself a hernia trying to carry you on my hip like I used to," Phoenix laughed.

Pearl gasped, and her blush deepened. "I get it," she replied, sounding irritated. "You've changed a lot, Mr. Nick. You didn't used to be this sarcastic."

"No, actually, I've always been this sarcastic," Phoenix replied, reaching out to ruffle the teen's hair. As she protested the action, he continued, "You were just too young to understand it before. But you've changed quite a bit yourself, Pearls."

"Yeah, I grew up," Pearl snipped, putting her shoulders back as they started walking to the village together. Her voice was stuffily dignified, and Phoenix couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Yes, that too, although I meant that you would've slapped me to high heaven and back by now, seven years ago."

"Keep it up and I might still," Pearl quipped. And then, as if she had never been annoyed with him, she asked, "So, you gonna tell me about this business you've come on such short notice to take care of?"

Phoenix glanced at her, his demeanor suddenly serious. "After I've spoken to Maya about it. Maybe."

Pearl could tell how serious this was by his sudden shift in mood. She grinned, wondering if she could still act cute and get him to give in. "Aww, come on, Mr. Nick!" she said in her sweetest, pretty-please voice. "Maybe I can help! I've been training all these years, you know. I'm even more talented than I was as a kid!"

"I have no doubt," Phoenix returned with a smile. "Still, I don't even know if this is an issue. I'd rather get all the information I can before I go panicking my friends over it."

This concerned Pearl, deeply. "Oh… you're not sick or anything, are you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," he reassured her. "Nothing like that."

"What's it 'like' then?" Pearl asked.

He shot her a sideways glance. "You're studying law, aren't you, Pearls?"

"N- no! What gave you that impression?" she demanded.

He grinned. "Nothing, really." They had arrived at the village gates, and the people who were already up and about, preparing for their day, stared at him curiously. He saw a glint of recognition on some of their faces, but not many. It _had_ been seven years since he'd been there, after all. "Is Maya up already?" he asked. He doubted it, but it was worth a shot.

"She is, actually," Pearl confirmed. She tactfully ignored Phoenix's expression of shock and added, "But she has to train from six to eight in the morning, and after that she usually takes a nap. I'm sure I can get her to stay up if I tell her you're here."

"Don't," Phoenix said quickly. "If she's getting up at six and training for two hours, she probably needs that nap." The man pondered whether to ask for food or someplace for _him_ to nap, and a yawn answered that question for them both.

"You sound like you need a nap yourself, Mr. Nick," Pearl said kindly. "The room you always used is free right now, if you want to sleep a bit before Master Maya is ready to see you."

"That might be a good idea," he replied. Four hours of sleep, fitful dozing on the train, and then a three-mile hike to the village had a bigger impact on him than he thought. It had only been in the last few minutes that he'd begun to feel fatigued, and now he was utterly exhausted. "Won't do for me to be falling asleep while I'm talking to her, either."

"No, it won't," Pearl said firmly, taking a hold of his wrist and tugging him gently along. She led him to the side room, still laid out with futons across the floor. "I don't think you'll be disturbed here," she told him confidently. "I'll make sure of it, actually."

"Thanks, Pearls," Phoenix said gratefully, setting his backpack down next to one of the futons. "Think you could send someone to wake me up when Maya is ready?"

"Of course, Mr. Nick," Pearl said sweetly, heading for the door to the room. As she stepped out and started sliding the door closed, she said, "Happy napping!"

Phoenix watched the doorway for a few seconds, chuckling and shaking his head. Despite his previous observations, she hadn't really changed all that much, if at all. With that thought, he laid down on his chosen futon and was unconscious within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

* * *

Maya just sat on the futon next to the man for several minutes, watching him sleep. She was sure it was subtle, something only she would notice, but there were certain changes in his attitude, in his face. Open and trusting before, he looked older, older than he should look, the way his jaw tensed at certain times and his habit of holding his head down at others giving a distinct message to those sensitive to his body language: he had survived hell itself. The marks of a man traumatized were clear to her, every time she saw him and he thought no one was looking, every time he spoke. It'd broken her heart, when they were reunited. Yes, she cried for joy at seeing him again, but she also cried for him, for the pain she instantly knew he'd endured for so long.

Those pain-hardened signals were completely absent from his face now; Phoenix looked to be completely at peace and she was loathe to rouse him from it. However, Pearl seemed very concerned when she'd told Maya that Phoenix just popped up out of nowhere this morning. Phoenix wouldn't do something like this so abruptly, so soon after their seven-year separation, and if he needed to speak to her about "business", she probably needed to hear about it.

With a heavy sigh, the Kurain Master leaned over, close to Phoenix's ear, and said softly but firmly, "Niiiiick… time to get up…"

Seven years ago, she would have just shaken him awake. However, that was seven years ago. She had no idea what he may dream about now; while his still face implied that his dreams weren't distressing, he'd always been a deep sleeper and she'd rather not risk putting her hands on him when he was unaware. He responded to her call, but it was slight; his lips twitched in a flash of a grin. _Why is my voice making him smirk like that_? she wondered to herself.

It wasn't worth more than a thought. "Niiiick," she repeated, a little louder, a little firmer. He responded this time by rubbing his still closed eyes with the back of his hand and rolling towards her. Maya stifled a laugh. _He's acting like a little boy! There's no way he's still asleep_… "Nick, c'mon. I'm a busy woman, and while I'd love to keep watching you nap, I do have things I need to take care of."

"… ngh…"

This time she did laugh. "Niiiiiiiick, wake up! You're missing the best part of the movie!" Maya teased,.

"Wha movie?" Phoenix slurred, his eyes squinting open. The first thing he saw was her, and he rubbed his eyes again, glancing sleepily around in confusion. Maya could see him trying to work out why he was in Kurain, a task he seemed to abruptly conclude. "Oh."

She laughed again, softer. "You're too adorable, Nick," she murmured. He knew he heard her because of the sleepy chuckle he gave, but he was still too groggy to remember it when he was fully awake. "Up, Nick," the Master said firmly, her voice finally at a normal level. "Pearly told me that you were here about half an hour ago. I'd love to just let you sleep, but she's _really_ worried about whatever you told her when you arrived."

"… yeah, there's… need your as-assis-help, and… ugh, call…"

Maya tried to make sense of his barely-audible mumbling before cutting him off. "Wake yourself up before trying to explain, Nick," she said kindly. "I'll go get you some tea or something, okay?"

"… grape juice?"

"Uh… I'm not sure we have any, but I'll see," Maya responded to his request. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Phoenix nodded sleepily as he sat up and pushed the cover of the futon off of his body. The man glanced around the room, shoving his sleep-induced haze away from him. His head felt fuzzy, like it usually did when he was too hot when he was sleeping, and he felt oddly sluggish. There was one cure for this that he had found, so he forced his body to move. It protested, demanding that he lay back down and go back to sleep, but he ignored it, walking aimlessly around the room and randomly stretching.

When Maya returned, he was fully awake. She carried two drinks, one a glass of some kind of purple juice and the other a mug. The Master handed him the glass as she took a sip from her own drink. "One grape juice, Mr. Wright," she said as he took it, smirking at him.

"I- how'd you know?"

"We spent a good five minutes talking, Nick," she informed him as he tasted it suspiciously. Gratefully, but suspiciously. "I guess you were too sleepy to remember it."

There was something in her tone of voice that made Phoenix cringe. He was going to ask how much of a fool he made of himself before his somewhat groggy brain overrode him. Instead, he took a healthy drink from his glass, the result of his taste-test showing that it really _was_ grape juice. Very _good_ grape juice. "You're going to spoil me with this stuff," he informed her with a chuckle.

"Nothing but Kurain's finest for you," Maya replied after another gulp of her drink; Phoenix assumed it was tea, since he didn't smell coffee. "Now, let's have a seat and a chat."

"Yeah," Phoenix replied, and the two of them settled onto the futons, facing each other. Maya's first inquiry was as to how Phoenix and his charges had been in the past week; Phoenix smiled. "They're fine," he said shortly. "I got some bad news yesterday, though."

"Wow, that was quick," Maya observed, sipping her tea. "Straight and to the point, just like you. I take it this bad news was pretty bad for you to take off like this."

"You could say that. I need a favor, Maya. It should only take a few moments."

"Ask and ye shall receive."

"I need you to try to channel someone. Two people, actually."

Maya's eyes widened and she almost dropped her tea. "Wh-did someone you know die?"

"I dunno, but I know they disappeared," Phoenix replied. He took a gulp of his juice, and then Maya's shock sunk in. "Well, this makes absolutely no sense…"

"… who are they, the people who disappeared?" she asked, sounding frightened.

"Larry and Iris," Phoenix replied, his voice grave.

"Wh-what?!"

"I found out at work yesterday," the dark-haired man explained. "I started glancing around the office while shifting through files and saw a couple labeled with their names."

"You told me about your new job last week," Maya cut in thoughtfully. "You're working for that prosecutor, aren't you?"

Phoenix winced. "Don't say it like that, Maya. I'm assisting an attorney, not working for a prosecutor."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Maya returned dryly. "Back on topic. How long have they been gone?"

"A month," Phoenix replied gravely.

"Wh-what?"

"Exactly," the man said, looking away. "My first thought, once I got over the shock, was to wonder why you didn't tell me when we met last week."

"That would be because I didn't know," Maya replied, putting a hand to her mouth. "They were at Hazakura. Why wouldn't Sister Bikini notify me…?"

"That's a good question. Looks like I'll be heading to Hazakura after all…"

"I… I really don't think that's a good idea, Nick."

Phoenix looked back at her, eyebrow raised. "Oh? And why not?"

"Because… there _is_ something that happened a month ago," Maya answered after a moment of hesitation. "Your presence at Hazakura may be a bit… precarious…"

"What's going on, Maya?" Phoenix demanded flatly.

She sighed heavily. "Morgan Fey returned to us last month."

"… I thought she was banished."

"She was," Maya said abruptly, standing and taking a few steps away from him. "She showed up here, her clothes dirty and in tatters, nearly emaciated and sobbing like an infant. It was pathetic," the Master said bitterly. "I wanted to give her fresh clothes, feed her, and send her away again. She begged Pearl to intervene."

"And Pearl did so."

"Exactly," Maya confirmed with a glance over her shoulder at him. "I know I was right, Nick. But that was her _mother_… she couldn't just turn her back on her. And Pearl… said that she would accept and trust my judgment no matter what I decided, but…"

Phoenix stood and went to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "She's your aunt as well," he said gently. "Even if she shouldn't be anywhere near any of us- I can't say I wouldn't have had pity, too."

There was silence. Maya took a shuddering breath, and turned to face him. "Do you think this is related?" she asked blankly.

"I'm just about positive it is," he answered immediately, "and I'm going to Hazakura to get to the bottom of it."

"Nick-"

"I need to call home and let Thalassa know that I'm going to have to make that second trip," he interrupted her protest. "Is there still no cell phone reception here?"

Maya shook her head. "No, there's a tower close enough to the village now. It's a weak signal, but it should be enough to make a short call. Please reconsider this, Phoenix."

"No. And I'll still need you to try to channel them, if you will. I need to know if I'm going corpse hunting or not. Excuse me…"

Maya watched him leave the side room and step into the garden, his cell phone already to his ear. Her heart constricted. If Morgan had anything at all to do with Iris and Larry's disappearance, she didn't trust that this wasn't a ruse to get to Phoenix. She quickly thought out the rest of her day, and then nodded firmly to herself as Phoenix trudged back into the side room. For a brief instant, he looked positively heartbroken. "Is something wrong?" Maya asked in concern.

The shattered expression vanished. "No, it's nothing," he muttered. "I've just got to let it be, it will resolve itself."

"Let _what_ be?"

"Family matters," he replied vaguely. "I don't want to talk about it."

The Master regarded her old friend in growing concern, but dropped the issue, choosing instead to deal with Hazakura. "When are you leaving here?" she asked.

"I'd like to leave as soon as possible, really," Phoenix said uncomfortably.

"Hazakura isn't going anywhere," Maya challenged. "Neither is Morgan Fey, and I doubt rushing over there is going to change whatever state Iris and Larry are in right now."

"I could use the distraction, though," the dark-haired man muttered.

Maya found that she really, _really_ wanted to question him on that phone call further. Instead of pushing it, though, she nodded. "In that case, 'as soon as possible' will probably be a few hours," she informed him. "I've got to take care of a few things and delegate responsibilities and such. I'll do that, and then I'll call you to the main hall so I can try to channel Larry and Iris; think you're rested enough to hike back up to the train station to get us tickets to Hazakura? I'll pay for them-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Phoenix finally snapped out of his preoccupation with that call and held up his hands. "Get _us_ tickets?"

"You don't think I'm going to let you go alone, do you?" Maya answered with a smile. "They're my friends too, remember. Plus, I think Morgan's a little less likely to try to antagonize you if I'm there. I can reinstate her banishment faster than she can say 'Good sir'."

"Maya, if Morgan's involved, this is probably going to get really, really ugly. Kurain _needs_ you."

Maya eyed him doubtfully. "Seems like your memory's slipping with your age," she said critically. Ignoring his protest that he was only thirty-four, she added, "I can't believe I need to remind you that I've been tased, framed for murder twice, kidnapped and held hostage, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, channeled an evil spirit for a ridiculous amount of time while locked in a freezing-cold cave with no food or water, and

forced to face the most dangerous defense attorney of his time." Maya's grin grew bigger at that last as Phoenix smiled appreciatively. "And if I can survive one of your cross-examinations, buster, I'm sure I can survive Morgan."

"Yeah, that does definitely prove you're tough," Phoenix conceded. "Fine. I'll go get us some train tickets, but you better have more grape juice ready for me when I get back."

"Sure thing, Nick." Maya threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He returned her embrace awkwardly as she mumbled into her chest. "God, I missed this. This will be great, Nick! Just like old times! See you when you get back!"

With this, Maya retreated. Phoenix watched her go, lightly touching the Magatama concealed beneath his shirt. "Yeah. Just like old times..." With a sigh, and trying to sort out all of the new information that just came at him, he started the long trek back to the train station. He didn't bother chasing Maya to remind her that she said she'd pay for the tickets. He didn't mind paying, either.

She wanted it to be just like old times, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Apollo grabbed the ringing phone without thinking. "Hello, Gramarye residence."

"… _Apollo?_"

"Mr. Wright," Apollo greeted in surprise. "Hey, how's this business thing going?"

"_Not so good,_" the voice on the other end replied, getting over his surprise immediately. "_The situation went from bad to worse pretty quickly. I was just calling to let Thalassa know that I'm going to have to take the second part of this trip after all._"

Apollo sat down on the couch next to the phone. He had been on his way out to speak to a potential client, but the client wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "She's out with Trucy right now," Apollo informed him. "I'll make sure to let her know."

"_Thank you_."

Awkward silence. Apollo's mind raced. If he didn't speak quickly, Phoenix would say his goodbyes and hang up. After last night's revelation, he did _not_ want that to happen. He had to say something! "I owe you thanks, myself," he finally said, haltingly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Apollo fidgeted with the phone cord. "I'm… not sure how I feel about all this yet, but I'm glad you chose to do it this way."

"_I see_."

"You do know what I'm talking about, right?"

"_Yes._" There was a pause, and then Phoenix asked, sounding hopeful, "_So… she told you? And it went well?"_

Apollo cringed. "Yes, she told us," he said. "It did go well, all things considered. There's… a lot of unfinished business from last night, but I think we're all working on it."

"…"

There was something meaningful in Phoenix's silence. Apollo took a wild guess and added, "And she made sure to drill it in our heads that it was her idea not to tell us right away, that you were just respecting her wishes. After…" he paused; maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go into that, and he redirected his statement. "Thalassa and I stayed up talking for quite a while. She seemed to think you were afraid that we'd be mad at you for not disclosing this."

"_I…_"

"I'm not mad, Mr. Wright. I understand completely," he reassured the older man.

"… _but Trucy is._"

_Damn!_ "Thalassa's working on her," Apollo attempted to cover up his gaff. He laughed nervously, and said, "I think she's angry for the sake of being angry at this point. I'll tell her you called, she'll probably have forgotten how upset she was last night by the time they get home. You have your cell phone, right?"

"_Yes,_" Phoenix answered. Something in his voice sounded broken, although it was hard to detect. "_But I'm leaving here very shortly. I'm not sure if I'll have cell phone reception at my next destination._"

"Ah, I see."

"_Thalassa has the number for that destination. Trucy can call me there, if she likes._"

"Alright. I'll have her do that," Apollo said firmly.

"_Thanks. I guess I'll talk to you later_."

"Yeah. Take care, Mr. Wright."

"_You too. Goodbye…_"

Apollo hung up the phone, feeling like a heel. Initially, when Thalassa told them who she was… who _they_ were… he had been upset, and had demanded to know if Mr. Wright knew this and for how long. He _did_ feel betrayed. But if his silence was because it wasn't his place to say anything, then…

He had his mother back. His _mother_. And he suddenly had a sister, too. How could he possibly stay upset at Phoenix for respecting his mother's wishes?

Trucy hadn't agreed. Now that Apollo thought about it, Trucy had been in a precarious mood for several months now. It started only a bit after that fateful trial, and it seemed that Trucy butted heads with Phoenix more than normal; he'd seen the older man lose his patience with her a few times. Considering that Apollo previously believed that Phoenix had an infinite amount of patience, the first time he raised his voice in response to her insubordination shocked them both.

It never escalated beyond that. Trucy pushed until Phoenix raised his voice at her, and the moment he did, she backed off. Apollo couldn't even say that Phoenix had yelled; he wasn't that loud, but he was definitely at a line Trucy didn't think she wanted to push him across.

To be honest, Apollo didn't want her to push him over that line, either. He'd never seen the man angry, and something told him that was something he didn't want to see. Fortunately, once they'd both calmed down, father and daughter hugged and made up pretty quickly.

But it happened far too often. Whatever was bothering Trucy was interfering with her relationship with Phoenix, and Apollo feared that this might be the thing that made her stand her ground and shove him clean over that line. Apollo didn't know if he wanted to be there to make sure no one did or said anything they'd regret, or be as far away as possible when it happened.

Apollo sighed as he rose and wrote Trucy a note. In any event, it seemed that whatever this business of Phoenix's was would keep him away long enough for Trucy to come to her senses, something Apollo was grateful for. He started to address it to her by name, and then got a strange idea. He tore the beginning of the note off the pad, and then wrote his greeting over again: _Hey sis_.

"Sis. It fits her. It really does." Apollo smiled to himself, and wrote the rest of his note: _Your father called. He'll be away for a little longer, and asked you to call him. If his cell number doesn't work, Thalassa has the number to the place he's staying. Give him a call, huh?_

_-Apollo_

The attorney considered tearing the note off again to come up with a better closing, but it was best to take this slowly. "Sis" was enough of a step for now. Apollo reread his note to see if his hidden guilt-trip was hidden enough, and confident that it was, the attorney left. He did have to meet with this potential client; he was already running late.

* * *

"Mr. Gavin! A word with you, if you please!"

The defense attorney and prosecutor both turned at the sound of the older man's voice as they exited the courtroom together. Apollo was immediately taken aback by the man's appearance; a device covered the man's eyes, glowing slightly through three slits in the otherwise solid object. His hair was white as fresh snow, and he sported a goatee that was quite a bit darker than his hair.

Klavier, however, didn't seem bothered. "Armando," he greeted, his voice surprised. "Ah, Herr Forehead, I'm afraid I'll need a raincheck on drinks. Make sure you send me your client's bill, all right? I'll ensure it's paid."

Apollo nodded. "'Kay. I'll make sure Mr. Allegro is aware of this arrangement. I'm sure he'll be quite grateful."

"It's the least I can do after this farce," Klavier replied sullenly. "I am almost too embarrassed to be seen here."

"It wasn't your fault," Apollo said comfortingly. "I'm going to give my sister a call, and see if she's home yet."

There was a smug, _Ask me about it!_ tone to Apollo's voice, and Klavier almost took the bait. "Mr. Gavin! I really, _really_ need to speak with you!" the snow-haired man interrupted them. Klavier would ask later. "I better see what he wants," Klavier said, scowling. "I'll call you later."

"Right. Have a good night, Mr. Gavin."

As Klavier took his leave of the young attorney, he found Trucy's cell number in his phone and dialed. It rang a few times more than it usually did; when she answered, her voice was light and carefree. "_Hello, Polly!_" she chirped.

He smiled. "Hey. You guys home yet?"

"_Yep. I got your note, too. I tried his cell but it wouldn't go through. He wasn't at either of those numbers yet, either._"

She sounded disappointed. Apollo took that to be a good thing, even though he wished they'd had a chance to talk. "Well, I'm sure they'll tell Mr. Wright that you called as soon as he arrives at… wherever he's going."

"_Yes, the lady at… Hazakura Temple, I think it is… knew what I was talking about and said that she'd have him call me back as soon as he got there. Polly, why is Daddy going to a temple?_"

Apollo smiled. Last night, Trucy called him "Phoenix" at least three times. _Back to normal_, he thought hopefully. "I have no idea," Apollo answered honestly. "He told me everything he told you. But isn't his lady-friend from the convention- oh, what was her name? Ms. Fey- isn't she some big-wig spiritual leader or something?"

"_You're right!_" Trucy gasped. "_We're getting a new Mo-"_

The attorney's heart sank as Trucy cut herself off. "Truce?" he prompted, suddenly ill at ease.

"_He's not… abandoning us, is he?_" She sounded terrified. "_He didn't shove us off onto Thalassa so he could start a new life, did he?_"

Apollo didn't mean to laugh at his little sister's distress, but he couldn't help it. He'd never heard anything as ridiculous as that, and he'd heard some pretty asinine things in court. "Don't be silly, Trucy!" he answered. "You're his life; Mr. Wright wouldn't be able to abandon you if you tried to make him."

"… _you're sure?_"

"I am."

"_Prove it_."

Apollo sighed, slightly exasperated. "He said he'd be back, right? Plus, we have all of the information we need to keep in contact with him. He obviously didn't care if we found out where he is. The only thing we _don't_ know about this trip is what he's doing. Honestly, I don't think his point in having us stay with Thalassa was so he could leave us."

"…"

"… Trucy. What was the reason he gave us about why he was leaving?"

"_Business_."

The girl sounded confused; even though she couldn't see it, Apollo nodded. "That's right. Now, why did he tell us he wanted us out of the apartment when he left?"

"_Because he didn't want to disturb us in the middle of the night._"

"Yes. Now, did you sense _any_ discomfort from him at that point?"

"… _oh. That really was why he wanted us to be out of the apartment, wasn't it?_"

"Yes. Now, Mr. Wright knew that Thalassa was our biological mother. What purpose could he have had _other than_ deciding to become a deadbeat dad, to ask Thalassa to take care of us while he was gone?"

"_He trusted her with us, maybe?_"

"I think that's a little closer to the truth than your idea," Apollo confirmed.

The voice at the other end of the phone sighed. "_You're right. Thanks, Polly. I feel a lot better now._"

"At your service," Apollo replied with a smile. "I'm on my way home now."

"_Oh! How did your case go_?"

"How do you think? Klavier better appreciate my self-restraint in there. I could have humiliated him much more than was necessary to get an acquittal." There was a hint of unreasonable pride in his voice, a smug gloating that Trucy didn't think suited him.

"_Well, tell me all about it when you get home, okay_?"

"Sure thing. See you in a bit… sis."

"… yeah. Love you, bro."

She hung up immediately, not giving him a chance to respond. Apollo pulled the phone away from his ear, smiling broadly. Despite the shock of discovering who Trucy was to him, it _did_ make him happier than he could ever remember being.

* * *

"So, Herr Armando," Klavier said as the two men headed for the prosecutor's office. "What brings the head of Special Operations to me so late in the day?"

The man chuckled. "You know what they say. Curiosity kills the cat, and one of your kittens is poking around in a case she shouldn't be, Mr. Gavin."

Klavier sat at his desk, disturbed by Armando's statement. "And why would you care if I'm interested in a cold case, Herr Armando?"

"Why _would_ you be interested in a cold case?" Armando returned. "By the way, got coffee?"

"Help yourself," Klavier answered, with a wave of his hand. "And I have my own reasons for wanting that case solved. Frauline Skye is the best detective at my disposal. You're going to have to deal with her 'poking around' that case."

"No, I won't," Armando said with a grin. He took a sip of the coffee he'd poured himself. "_Mmm-mmm_! Mr. Gavin, you _do_ have good taste in coffee!"

Klavier smiled, Armando's relaxed attitude helping him relax himself. "I'm normally a tea kind of man," he replied, "but I heard it from a little bird that the fastest way to get on your good side is a good cup of coffee."

"Little bird got that right," Armando agreed. "Now then, Mr. Gavin. As I've already implied, I'd strongly suggest you become uninterested in that case very quickly. Since I don't have the authority to pull Ms. Skye off a case you personally assigned her, I'll have to ask that you do it for me, and as quickly as possible, if you please."

The prosecutor leaned back in his chair. "Why?" he asked simply. "I've got a pretty compelling reason to want that case solved. Your reason for pulling out of it has to be more compelling for me to do so."

"Oh, it's like that, is it?" Armando said with a chuckle. "Here's this for a compelling reason: Phoenix Wright." Klavier raised an eyebrow at him, and the Special Operations officer laughed. "Oh, I'm assuming that's your compelling reason to look into it, huh? He somehow discover his friends disappeared? Want to find them for him to make up for ruining his life?" As the man spoke, Klavier was quickly becoming angry, but Armando didn't let up. "Yeah, that's a pretty compelling reason to want to help out. I've got a compelling reason for wanting you to drop it, too, and it's for the same reason, really. I've got a debt I've got to square with Mr. Wright. That's why I must insist that you pull Ms. Skye off this case and cease investigation immediately."

"How could letting this case rot _possibly_ 'square a debt' you have to Herr Wright?" Klavier demanded irritably.

Armando downed his coffee, set the cup down, and leaned over Klavier's desk. "You don't think saving his life is a good way to repay him for saving mine, huh?"

"S-saving his life…?"

The other man just nodded.

Klavier stared at him, trying to figure him out. Armando was grinning, in that creepy way that he grinned when what he'd just said was completely ludicrous but completely true. What the prosecutor wouldn't give to be able to see the man's eyes-! Klavier reached for his phone and dialed Ema's extension, not taking his eyes off the head of Special Operations. "Frauline Skye? Yes, I need you in my office immediately. No, this is urgent. I understand, but- No. Skye- no. I said- _Now_, Detective Skye! Get in here _now_! Don't make me repeat myself, I'm _not_ in the mood!"

Armando laughed as Klavier irritably slammed the receiver down. "You're not scoring any points with her by hanging up on her, you know," Armando chortled.

"Who said I needed to score any points?" Klavier returned sourly.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the three of them stared at each other grimly. After a moment of silence, Klavier picked up his phone again, this time dialing the number to his rival's cell phone. After two rings, Klavier set it to speaker phone and replaced the receiver gently. At the third ring, Apollo Justice's voice came from the speaker: "_Hello, Apollo Justice speaking_."

"Hello, Herr Forehead," Klavier answered, trying to keep the fear from his voice. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"_No, not really,_" was the answer. "_We were about to sit down for dinner, but I've been waiting for you to call me. You said you would._"

"Ah, yes," Klavier said, hopefully. "You and the Wrights, right?"

"_Well, Trucy. And Thalassa. Lamiroir. Mr. Wright and her are friends, do you believe it?_"

Apollo clearly believed this was a friendly call. "I believe he mentioned something about that," Klavier said slowly. "So Mr. Wright isn't there?"

"_No, why_?"

Ema put a hand to her mouth in horror as Armando shook his head and gulped down another cup of coffee. "I apologize, Herr Forehead, but I need to know his location."

"_Oh. Hazakura Temple. Apparently he's got some kind of urgent business there_."

"Oh my _god_," Ema whispered, blanching. Klavier looked at her in concern, fearing that she was about to pass out. "Th-thank you, Herr Forehead," Klavier replied, his own unease growing.

"_Is something wrong, Mr. Gavin?_"

"Not yet, no," Klavier said tightly. "I'll fill you in when I call you back in a bit. I've got some rather urgent business of my own now. I'll call as soon as I'm clear on what's going on."

"_A-all right. You know how to reach me._"

"Ja. Talk to you soon." The prosecutor hit the button to terminate the speaker; with the receiver on the cradle, it ended the call as well. Klavier looked at his companions grimly. "Well? What now?"

"Is his mere presence there putting him in danger?" Ema asked, her voice shaking.

Armando shook his head. "Shouldn't. As far as I know, they're still incognito. However, the moment he finds them, we'll be blind until we figure out a way to replace them."

"And she'll have the freedom to move when they pop up," Klavier finished Armando's thought.

"Exactly." Armando leaned forward, grinning slightly. "I only needed a little more evidence, and then I was going to hand the whole file over to you anyway, Mr. Gavin. I was hoping we'd be able to finish this operation without Wright getting involved at all. I guess it was naive of me to think he wouldn't find out."

"And stupid of me to think that he wouldn't go looking for them himself," Klavier added sourly. "I had a bad feeling from the moment he found those files. _Damn_." The prosecutor bit his nails, thinking. "Herr Armando, do you think that Detective Skye would be useful in this situation?"

"In what way?" Armando asked, intrigued.

"Yes, in what way?" Ema repeated, her voice less curious than the officer's and more threatening.

Klavier smiled. "You're familiar with Herr Wright's style of investigation, are you not?"

"I- y-yes, I did an investigation with him when I was younger, but that was almost ten years ago!"

"Irrelevant. You know how he investigates. That means you can interfere."

Ema's jaw dropped as Armando laughed. "I like how you think, Mr. Gavin!" the officer chortled, and Ema shook her head. "No. Oh, no. No no. I am _not_ going to go all the way out there just to interfere with Mr. Wright's investigation. Sorry, but I'm past the age that intentionally annoying him would be amusing. I'm not doing this, stop looking at me like that, you glimmerous fop!"


	5. Chapter 5

Apollo pulled the cell phone from his ear, his face pale and drawn. The three of them were talking when the attorney's cell phone rang; Trucy and Thalassa initially continued their conversation, until the tone of Apollo's voice changed. They watched him then, both sensing his discomfort, as the color drained from his face and he spoke in a near whisper. "Polly? What's wrong?" Trucy asked, as soon as Apollo hung up the phone.

"It- it's nothing," Apollo lied. "Mr. Gavin's just concerned about a particular case. I'm related to it, so he wanted to run how things stood past me before he did anything. That's all."

Thalassa and Trucy exchanged glances. "You seem rather distraught for this to just be an issue with a case," Thalassa said, concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Apollo confirmed, fixing Trucy with a look. _We need to talk_, he tried to convey silently, praying Trucy caught his message. "So, what did I miss of this conversation?"

* * *

"Well, I believe we're at an impasse," the head of the council said, her voice soft and wistful. "We obviously can't stop you from escorting Mr. Wright to Hazakura Temple, and we certainly have no power to stop him from going on his own. Just know that we will have to enter an official censure if you do go, Master Maya."

"Since when have I cared about your 'official censure'?" Maya asked blankly.

Despite the insubordinate tone in Maya's voice, most of the Elders chuckled. "Since never, but we can dream, can't we?" the head Elder replied. "If you consider this issue closed, Master-"

"I do."

"-there is one more thing we must discuss. This was actually what this meeting was scheduled for. On the matter of succession-"

Maya grimaced. "You needn't worry about finding me a suitor, Elder Alana," she said softly.

"The deal was that we wouldn't pursue this issue if you found someone on your own."

"I have," Maya nodded, hoping that "his" name wasn't asked. "You can drop this arranged marriage stuff. I've decided on a husband and I assure you, he's quite suitable."

At this, one of the Elders cleared her throat. "I suspect I know who Master Maya has chosen," this Elder said, the youngest and yet somehow the most conservative of them all. "And if he is who I suspect, not only is he most assuredly _not_ suitable to carry on the Fey line, he also has no clue as to Master Maya's… affections."

The council members murmured. "Is this true, Master Maya?" Alana asked.

Maya grimaced. "I repeat: he's quite suitable."

Alana grinned at her, looking briefly like a little girl who'd just been told a joke. "But Mystic Amber is correct that he doesn't know."

One of the other council members cut in. "I believe I've figured out who the Master has selected as well," she said. "Let's not focus on the 'knowing' part of it yet. What makes you think Phoenix Wright, of all people, is suitable to be the husband of the Master of the Kurain Channeling School?"

There. It was said, and out in the open. Maya considered demanding to know how Mystic Genovese was so sure it was Phoenix, but that would just draw out this meeting and give them the impression that she had something to hide. "Because that is who I want it to be," she replied, tilting her face up slightly in an attempt to look intimidating. "That should be more than enough."

"It should be," Mystic Alana conceded. "However, as you and I both know, for most of this council, it is far from enough."

Maya bit her lip. She really didn't want to go into all the practical reasons; that wasn't what it was about. "Then the council will have to be satisfied with the fact that I love him," she admitted. _There, I've said it. Wow, it feels oddly good to get that out_. "If that's not good enough for the council, tough."

"I'm sure, in ordinary circumstances, marrying for love is ideal," Mystic Alana said quickly, hoping that her intervention would be enough to settle the angry murmurings Maya's remark caused. "However, you are hardly in an ordinary circumstance, Master Maya, and despite Mystic Genovese's call for us to not focus on this, I propose that even if Master Maya were to demonstrate that Mr. Wright is a suitable husband for her, it is absolutely meaningless if he isn't aware of what Master Maya intends." She shook her head. "I am sorry, Master Maya, but we're going to have to go ahead with the betrothal."

Maya shook her head firmly. "My end of the bargain was that I find someone on my own," she challenged testily. "I've held up that condition! Uphold yours!"

"That was much closer to 'up yours' than I care to consider," Mystic Amber interjected dryly.

Alana spoke the young Mystic's name sharply in reprimand, and then turned her attention back to Maya. "This discussion is happening because you are nearly thirty and you do not have an heir yet," she said finally. "While I can appreciate your cunning in emphasizing the letter of our agreement, your proposal still doesn't fulfill the spirit of our agreement. You need to bear a daughter, Master Maya, and I strongly suggest that you need to have a willing and aware male participant to accomplish that. You may _want_ to marry Mr. Wright, but suitability aside, we have no idea if your affections are reciprocated, and he certainly hasn't pursued _you_."

"I'm not marrying a complete stranger!" Maya protested, exasperated. "You can arrange whatever marriage you like, that doesn't mean I'll do it!"

The council murmured again. Alana sat back in her seat. "We'll see, Master Maya. For now, this council will proceed with the betrothal arrangements. Good luck on your quest with Mr. Wright, Master Maya. Be safe."

* * *

Maya was done with whatever preparations she needed to make by the time Phoenix got back to Kurain Village. "Did you get the tickets?" Maya asked excitedly.

Phoenix smirked. "No. I walked four miles in the summer heat for nothin'."

"Ha ha," Maya mocked, grabbing his wrist. "Sorry for rushing this, but I'd prefer to have everything in a row as quickly as possible."

Phoenix let his old friend drag him towards Fey Manor, adjusting his stride so he could keep up with her comfortably. "The elders don't want you to go, do they?"

"Nope. They don't want _you_ to go, either," she answered flatly. "And they won't tell me why they care what an outsider does."

"The plot thickens," Phoenix mused as they entered the house, and Maya continued tugging him towards the Channeling Chamber.

"Yes, it does. In fact," Maya paused as she closed the Channeling Chamber door behind her. "They even offered to let you stay here as long as you like, as a member of the clan."

This got Phoenix's attention. He raised an eyebrow at her as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the chamber. "Since when was I welcome here at _all_?"

"That's what I wanted to know," Maya said dryly. "Their response was that you'd shown a good deal of respect by keeping your distance during your ordeal. I don't buy it."

"I don't, either," Phoenix agreed, mulling over what she'd told him. "Well, if that's their story and they're sticking to it, there isn't much we can do about it," he said finally. "I _could_ try to see if any of the Elders have Psyche-locks, but…"

"Let's not look a gift-horse in the mouth here," Maya cut him off. "They _want_ you here for some reason. I'm not about to question it _that_ much."

"Heh… I guess you're right on that part. I still would like to know what brought about their sudden change of heart, but I suppose it's not really relevant right now."

The two had walked to the center of the chamber and sat in their respective places. "I'll attempt to channel them now," Maya told him. "Iris first, and then Larry. Close your eyes and focus on your desire to see Iris."

Phoenix did as she commanded, the silence almost overwhelming. That silence was broken after a moment by Maya whispering, "No good… try Larry now." Phoenix shifted the image of his ex-girlfriend to his childhood friend in his head, his heart racing. Iris was alive, at least.

It was only a moment more before Maya spoke again. "I can't channel either of them," she told him. "Here, take my hands. We're going to do something different."

Again, Phoenix obeyed, although he wondered what this 'something different' was. Maya again closed her eyes, as her hold on Phoenix's hands tightened. "Where are you…?" she murmured. "I need your help here, Nick."

"What am I supposed to be doing?" he asked, subdued.

"Just focus on how badly you want to find them. I'll do the rest." Phoenix did as she said, but didn't close his eyes this time. He did want to find them, with all his soul, but Maya looked as though she was in pain. She repeated her plea of, "Where are you?" softly, her grip tightening again. She was squeezing his hands so hard it was uncomfortable, almost painful, and there was an unpleasant feeling of dread in him, as if he was in imminent danger of losing himself, of dying…

An image of Hazakura Temple flashed in his mind, his perspective from high in the sky. As he watched, a light green light circled the temple, and then a second one, almost directly on top of the first. "Found you," Maya breathed, letting go of Phoenix's hands abruptly. The image vanished, their eyes met, and Maya fell forward. Phoenix lurched toward her to catch her; she murmured thanks and righted herself quickly. "Sorry about that," she said groggily. "Doing that takes an extraordinary amount of spiritual power. I probably should have warned you first."

"Are you okay?" Phoenix demanded. The odd feeling of impending doom was gone, but his heart was still beating far too fast. He felt shaky, high-strung and panicked, and he didn't like it one bit. If he felt this way because he helped with whatever that was, then he imagined Maya felt much worse…

"I'm fine," Maya answered, taking a deep breath. "Let me summarize what we've discovered. Iris and Larry are alive. Very much alive, actually; I didn't sense any trauma. Their lives are in no danger. They are also still in the vicinity of Hazakura Temple."

"Those green circles that were around the Temple," Phoenix said. "They indicated the area that they could be in, right?"

Maya fixed him with a startled stare. "You saw that?" Phoenix nodded mutely and Maya confirmed, "Yes, those circles represent the radius that they could be occupying at this moment, but you shouldn't have been able to see that. Only I should have."

"Is that why I feel like I'm dying right now?" Phoenix asked with a nervous grin.

"Probably. I'm so sorry, Nick. I didn't realize that I was pulling you that far into the charm. I guess I still have quite a bit of training before I can use that technique right."

"That was impressive, though," Phoenix said. "Last time we talked, you could channel spirits and that was about it."

"Yes, well, I haven't been just watching Pink Princess and eating burgers for the last seven years, you know," Maya replied with her own grin. "I've been training pretty hard."

"So I can tell." Phoenix moved to stand, stumbled, and then caught his footing and offered a hand to help Maya up. "So what's the plan now?"

"We go to Hazakura Temple," Maya answered. "We'll start looking for them first thing tomorrow morning; it will be too late for us to start by the time we get there."

* * *

Apollo pulled Trucy into the room she was using in Thalassa's home. It was _huge_ and she had plenty of room to spare, giving them both their own personal space. Apollo discovered that he could get used to this, very quickly, but for now, they had more pressing matters to deal with. "Stay calm," he said as Trucy started to demand what the big deal was. He spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper, and Trucy leaned in close to hear him. "Mr. Gavin believes Mr. Wright may be in danger."

Trucy gasped. "What?!"

"Hush!" Apollo cast a glance at the open door, listening for Thalassa; after a moment, when he didn't hear her coming towards the room, he said, "This might actually be why Mr. Wright asked Thalassa to let us stay here until he got back. If we knew he may be in danger, we'd either stop him or you'd try to follow him."

The girl tilted her head. "You'd come too, right?"

Apollo gritted his teeth. "Yes, probably. But look, Trucy; I'm telling you because Mr. Gavin thinks we should know. That 'urgent business' he had is a couple of friends of his who are missing, and disappeared around Hazakura Temple. Except they're not missing. The Special Operations division of the police know exactly where they are. Mr. Gavin won't tell me why, but they absolutely do not want Mr. Wright to find them."

At this, Trucy's consternation lifted. "Oh, well then! This is easy!"

"Wh-what?"

"We're going to go stop him from finding them, then!" Trucy said brightly, and Apollo blanched.

"No. No no no, we are _not_," Apollo said sternly. "Mr. Gavin also told me that we needed to stay out of it. He only told me because I already knew something was wrong and I'm only telling _you_ so you know what's going on-"

"Oh stop it, Polly, you told me because you think we should go and you know it," Trucy said with a wink.

"You have school!" the attorney exclaimed desperately.

"Summer school. _Voluntary_ summer school."

"Wh- you're going to summer school voluntarily? Who does that?"

"I do, obviously."

Apollo shook his head. "No. That's my final answer. We're not going."

Trucy pouted, making an unhappy noise at him. "Fine, be that way. You can stay behind but _I_ am going. You can't stop me and you know it."

Apollo eyed her critically. Considering that their relationship just changed drastically, and this change was less than two days old, he didn't know if he wanted to do this, but… "I may not be able to stop you," he said finally, "but Mr. Wright can."

"And how is he going to do that?" Trucy demanded testily.

The attorney produced his cell phone. "I have the number to Hazakura Temple," he said quietly. This was a bluff; he couldn't tell Mr. Wright a damn thing about his conversation with Mr. Gavin, but Trucy didn't know that. "I can call him at any time and tell him what you're planning to do."

The young magician gaped at him. And then, abruptly, she grinned. "Go ahead," she sassed at him. "He's still there, and I'm still here. I can still go even if he tells me to stay put. There's no way Daddy can actually stop me."

Now it was Apollo's turn to gape at her. "You'd disobey a direct order from your father?" he sputtered, shocked.

"Polly, maybe you didn't hear what you just told me," she said with a grimace. "Daddy may be in danger. Yes, I'd disobey a direct order from him if I can help him somehow."

"He didn't tell us so we'd stay out of it," Apollo tried to reason. "Think about it. He may not know _why_, but he clearly considered the possibility that this was dangerous. He doesn't want us involved, and frankly, Mr. Gavin was quite clear that he was _only_ telling me so that I was aware of what was going on with my boss!"

Trucy squared her shoulders, looking the man straight in the eyes. "I'm going, Apollo," she said firmly. "Call Daddy. Tell him I'm on my way, go ahead. He'll be waiting so it'll be easier for me to find him. But I'm going, and there's nothing you, or Daddy, can say to stop me."

Apollo regarded the teenager in a mix of exasperation, concern, and even anger. "Fine," he bit out finally. "I didn't take the case that I had to look into today, and I've got no others. There's no reason I can't go with you."

"Really, Polly?! You're so wonderful-"

"Don't say that yet," he interrupted, his voice severe, harsher than he'd ever spoken to her before. But before, she was his assistant and his boss's daughter, and no more. She was his little sister now. "I'm going with you solely to ensure you get right back on the train when Mr. Wright tells you to go home. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear," Trucy snapped back. "But if that's the case, I wouldn't waste my time if I were you. He can't force me to go back."

Apollo didn't like her blatant insubordination. Trucy was holding a grudge against Phoenix, one that she had no business keeping, and that was that he knew her biological father was dead for almost a year and never told her. Oh, she figured it out quick enough when he acquired the locket with the photograph of her as a small child, but he still didn't tell her. She hadn't appreciated that, but she tried to understand why he would withhold that information.

But now, discovering that he also knew her mother was alive, and who she was… Apollo didn't like the way her attitude was going. There was no doubt in his mind that she still regarded Phoenix as her father, and still loved him as such. But if this kept up, the risk of the two becoming alienated was there. Any attempt on Phoenix's part to send them home would result in a confrontation. With this in mind, Apollo shrugged indifferently. "It's my time to waste if I feel like it," he said finally. "And I feel like it. So how are we going to handle Thalassa?"

"I-" Trucy's sassiness disappeared as she understood what Apollo was asking. "I have no idea. I guess we're going to have to handle her exactly how we're handling Daddy..."

"More insubordination," Apollo muttered.

She sighed. "I don't see an alternative, though. If we're right, Daddy probably told Thalassa not to let us follow him. We can tell her we're leaving and then ignore her protests, tell her we're going somewhere completely different, or just not tell her we're leaving."

Apollo considered this, gazing at his half-sister thoughtfully as he tried to work out the outcome of those three choices. Finally, not believing he was actually helping her plan this, he said softly, "What about leaving her a letter?"

"That works!" Trucy chirped. "You write it. You have nicer handwriting."

"Have you _ever_ seen my handwriting?" Apollo answered. "Fine, I'll write the letter. Go get your stuff together before I change my mind."

* * *

Ema stared out the window in desolation. They were pulling into the Hazakura station, less than a year old. She really, really didn't want to be here, and she really, really didn't want to be interfering with Phoenix's investigation. Prosecutor Gavin had, somehow, convinced her that stopping him from finding his lost friends was a life-or-death situation, and it was her duty as a police officer to protect the civilians of the city, including Phoenix Wright.

And she agreed. Wholeheartedly. She never, ever, ever wanted any harm to come to the man, and would step directly into harm's way to protect him. But was any harm, whatsoever, really going to come to him at a freakin' temple?

The train pulled into the station and announced their location. Ema tuned out the conductor's voice as she gathered up her bags and made her way to the platform, trying to look on the bright side. She hadn't seen Phoenix in weeks; it would be good to catch up with him.

It was starting to get dark; Ema looked around as she exited the train, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dimming light of twilight. As her gaze swept out past the train platform to the scenery around them, she smiled. It was _gorgeous_, that was for sure. Maybe this trip wasn't such a bad idea after all. Sighing, although now she didn't know whether it was a whimsical sigh or a frustrated one, she pulled a map of the area from her pocket. It shouldn't take her very long to reach the temple by foot; they'd built the station pretty close to the main temple. "Well, I guess I better get going. C'mon, feet, let's go."

She turned towards the exit of the platform when a familiar voice blurted from the other end of the platform, "Ema?"

The detective turned with wide eyes. "M-Mr. Wright!" she exclaimed as he approached her, an expression of minor consternation on his face. "I wasn't expecting to see you here! I thought you'd be at the temple!"

"Yeah, well, I _really_ wasn't expecting you," Phoenix replied, bewildered.

"Oh? Who were you expecting?"

"A couple of bratty runaways who think they're smarter than I am," Phoenix muttered in response.

"Bratty runaways-?"

Ema's question was answered by a light, female voice exclaiming in horror, "Daddy!" Only a second later, another familiar voice, this one male, calling, "_Ema?!_"

The detective turned, abruptly figuring out who the 'bratty runaways' were. "Apollo!" she snapped. "I can't believe you! Mr. Gavin made it clear that you weren't to interfere!"

"Wait, Klavier's involved in this?" Phoenix cut in, surprised.

The group exchanged looks, uneasy and confused. Phoenix calmly walked to the schedule billboard, glanced at his watch, and then traced a finger down the schedule until he found the correct time slot. He _tsk_'ed quietly to himself. "I should've known you'd all take the last train here," he said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Well, come on, let's get to the temple. I'm sure I can get Sister Bikini to let me use to kitchen to make you guys something, since you're all probably hungry. The train food absolutely sucks. I should know."

This last was said with a sagely nod. Phoenix didn't look at them as he started walking away, and the three newcomers glanced at each other nervously. Seeing no other option, they followed him and hoped he wasn't _too_ angry.


	6. Chapter 6

"What are we going to do if Master Maya truly refuses to marry the man we betroth her to?"

It was a question none of the council wanted to consider. This council was established by Master Maya herself, to shift some power from the main family to the branch families. Initially, each branch family established a representative, and then the whole of the clan- male and female alike- voted on the five who would be the counter to the Master. Maya Fey still held the majority of the power of the clan, but her power was now checked, to a certain degree, by the five women sitting in that chamber now.

Mystic Alana was the one who answered Mystic Amber's question. "Master Maya is correct," she said quietly. "We literally cannot force her to marry anyone. We can beg, cajole and threaten all we like, but if she refuses, the best we can do is remove her."

The council murmured among themselves. Genovese spoke up. "I'd rather see that troublemaker marry her than see her removed. She's given the authority to do so to us; she trusts us. What message are we sending to the rest of the clan if we betray her in such a way?"

"And that's the problem," Mystic Alana said. "If we do not succeed in forcing her to marry, one way or another, the branch families will wonder why we aren't using the power at our disposal to control her. They _will_ call for her removal."

Silence descended. "There is the issue of the danger Wright is leading Master Maya into," Amber said quietly, "however unintentional. Despite any distaste we might have for him, or doubts as to his feelings for the Master, it is undeniable that he loves her on some level and would never endanger her intentionally. That is, after all, the reason he kept away until he was exonerated of wrong-doing."

"This is true," Alana said. "She's insisting on going, though; we've all accepted that fact. The most we can do without revealing what the police have told us to keep under wraps is to warn Sister Bikini. The issue is of succession and the fact that Master Maya has no children and no apparent prospects to conceive one. I fail to see how pointing out that Wright is just as ignorant and reckless with his actions as always is relevant to this discussion."

Abruptly, Genovese said, "I think I see the relevancy. Stop me if I have your idea wrong, Mystic Amber." The old woman sat forward, looking around the half-circle of women. "Mystic Amber made two observations: that Wright and Master Maya were walking straight into danger's grip, and that Wright harbors some kind of love for Master Maya. I point out that the police have given us some latitude in how we maintain our information; they have asked us to limit it to a need-to-know basis, as long as it is no one who will tell Phoenix Wright. I propose that there is, indeed, someone we can tell about this who we can trust to keep silent, who has a vested interest in protecting both Master Maya and Phoenix Wright, and who also wishes nothing more than to see the two happily in love."

"Mystic Genovese," Alana said, disturbed. "Are you proposing what I think you are?"

"She is," Mystic Amber replied smoothly. "As am I. We inform Pearl Fey as to the situation, and send her to Hazakura with them. She will be close enough to Morgan Fey to help gather information, will protect Phoenix Wright at all costs, and…" Mystic Amber grinned, a bit wolfishly. "She will also do everything in her power to ensure that Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey end up, as Mystic Genovese worded it, happily in love."

"Wasn't there a question just five minutes ago as to whether or not Wright was a suitable husband for her?" Alana challenged.

"There was," Amber answered. "I doubt anyone will be happy with it if this plan succeeds and Master Maya ends up romantically entwined with Mr. Wright. However, as much as I disagree with this prospect, it is her life, and her body. She has a right to decide whose child she will carry, if nothing else. And if this plan fails, then it is all the more proof that the betrothal needs to happen."

"That's right," Genovese added dryly. "Once Mystic Pearl gets an idea in her head, she's going to have what she wants and that's that. If she can't help them get together, they won't, and Master Maya will have to admit that her desire to marry Wright is unrealistic."

Alana looked around the table. "I've one more concern," she said seriously. "As we are all aware, Pearl Fey is next in line to take the title of Master, should something happen to Master Maya before she has a daughter. This is placing Mystic Pearl directly in harm's way as well, and there is no clear order of ascension beyond Mystic Pearl. If something should happen to them both-"

"Remember who the focus in this is," Genovese cut her off gently. "We all know that Morgan Fey is a terrible woman; but I do not think she would physically harm Mystic Pearl. To do so would be completely counterproductive to her alleged goals."

Alana considered this, and then said to the council. "Let us vote. Those in favor of sending Mystic Pearl as our agent in this matter?" Four hands shot up; Alana kept her own down. Nonetheless, she pursed her lips at the vote, and said, "Have Mystic Pearl sent in, quickly. If we're to do this, we've got to fill her in immediately."

* * *

Maya was packed and ready to go; Phoenix himself was traveling lightly, not knowing where this adventure would take him. Fortunately, the changes Maya was implementing made the village more attractive to males, and thus one of the two tailors in the village now carried men's clothing. There wasn't much, but Phoenix was relieved to discover that there was enough secular clothing that he could get a whole outfit out of it. It drained the tailor's stock of secular clothing almost completely, but the woman didn't complain; she'd been trying to sell that outfit for months. He'd have to wash his clothes every day he was at Hazakura, but that was fine; it was just a handful, nothing to sweat about.

As the two were about to leave the village to start the long hike to the train station, a light voice shouted from a side path, "Master Maya! Mr. Nick! Wait! Oh please, wait!"

The two obeyed and turned to face the teenager who was running at them at top speed. She skidded to a halt in front of them, gasping for breath. "What's wrong, Pearls?" Phoenix asked, concerned.

"Don't go," she managed to gasp out. "I-I've got a really, really bad feeling about this, Mr. Nick! Something terrible is going to happen if you go to Hazakura Temple, I just know it!"

Phoenix and Maya exchanged stunned, worried glances; Phoenix nodded slightly towards the distraught girl, his eyes still on the Kurain Master, indicating that he wanted her to handle this. She took the suggestion. "Pearly, listen," Maya said in a comforting tone. "Nick and I know how to handle ourselves. We've been in danger lots of times. You remember, right?"

"I know, but- but-"

"We'll be okay," Phoenix cut her off, hoping his confidence would make the girl relax a bit. "It's just like Maya says: we know how to take care of ourselves. If anything bad happens, we'll just deal with it, and we'll come out fine, like we always do. So don't worry, okay?"

Pearl looked from one adult to the other, her mouth in a grim line. "Please don't go," she pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Pearls," Phoenix said with a sigh and a shake of his head. "We have to."

The young spirit medium squared her slight shoulders, took a deep breath, and said in her strongest, most intimidating voice, "Then I'm going with you, and if you try to make me stay, Mr. Nick, I'll slap you so silly you won't know what color the sky is."

"Pearls, I- OW!" Phoenix recoiled as Pearl slapped him, hard on the arm. "That hurt!"

"It was supposed to!" Pearl exclaimed. "Next one will be across the face, Mr. Nick. I'm going with you, whether you like it or not."

Maya watched this exchange, at a loss for words, when Phoenix implored her, "Maya, do something!"

"I... Pearly, please. If you're so worried that something bad will happen to us, I'd rather you weren't exposed to that danger as well," she tried. "Nick's thinking the same thing, too, I'm sure. So please..."

_Smack!_ "OW!" Phoenix yelped again, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"

"I can't very well hit Master Maya, can I?" Pearl challenged.

Phoenix glared at Maya. "You haven't been letting her spend time with Franziska von Karma, have you?"

"No, I haven't. Stop hitting him, Pearly. I mean it."

Pearl tilted her chin up in an expression of defiance. "I'm going with you two. I am. I mean it! Tell you what- I've wanted to do some intensive training anyway. I'll spend the whole time we're there doing so; you'll barely know I'm there and I'll be out of your way. So please- let me come with!"

The two adults looked at each other again, both at a loss for words. "What do you think, Nick?" Maya asked.

"You're her guardian."

"This is your quest."

"You want it solved as badly as I do," Phoenix countered.

Pearl grabbed Phoenix's arms, trying to shake him. "Please please please!" she begged. "I _promise_ I'll stay out of your way! I really, really want to go!"

Phoenix and Pearl looked at each other, Phoenix torn and Pearl pleading. Why did she want to come with so badly, he wondered? Perhaps to see her mother? He sighed, and said, "As long as you promise not to try to get involved," he said firmly.

"I promise," Pearl replied solemnly, making a cross gesture over her chest. "Cross my heart, Mr. Nick. You won't even know I'm there."

"All right," he said with a sigh. "Let's get going. We've got to buy another train ticket before the train gets here."

* * *

Apollo loved it at the temple. Sister Bikini was probably one of the funniest old women he'd ever met, and it was much cooler there in the mountains than in the city. The stifling, humid heat didn't reach here; their elevation kept the temperature down. The temperature was absolutely beautiful; he didn't think it was possible to be this comfortable in the summer.

Phoenix escorted the three of them to Hazakura Temple from the train station; Ema walked with Phoenix while Apollo and Trucy lagged behind. Ema and Phoenix talked in quiet tones; beside him, Trucy had been tense, very nervous. He didn't blame her. This was what he was trying so hard to tell her: they were disobeying an order from Phoenix, whether that order was issued directly to them or not. There was no way that there wouldn't be consequences, although neither of them could fathom what consequences those might be.

_A year ago, I'd be mighty pissed at Trucy too,_ Apollo mused. But he wasn't. He was concerned, and worse, when Phoenix finally sat them down to yell at them, he planned on defending her actions. That would ensure that he got some of Phoenix's ire, but she was _worried_ about him, he obviously knew that they had reason to worry. If Phoenix himself had been upfront about what he was doing, it would be different, but no. He chose to tell them nothing, leaving it to their imagination. And both Apollo and Trucy had very vivid imaginations, especially when they had the vague information they did.

As they entered the Temple's main hall, Phoenix called out, "Sister Bikini! I need your assistance!"

There was no hint of irritation in his voice, and at his call, two women emerged from a side room. "Yes?" a stout, short and round woman prompted, as a taller, much younger acolyte gasped dramatically. "Mr. Justice! Trucy!"

Pearl skipped up to them, beaming brilliantly as Phoenix explained to that plump nun that they needed two more rooms, one which would be needed for as long as he was there, the other for the night. _I guess he's shipping us home first thing in the morning,_ Apollo thought. He'd probably share a room with Phoenix himself, and Trucy would have her own room for the night.

Trucy and Pearl were babbling at each other like a couple of teenaged girls. Apollo chuckled to himself at the analogy and shook his head: they _were_ a couple of teenaged girls. Phoenix's conversation with Sister Bikini finished, he turned to the three of them. "Pearls? Would you go help Sister Bikini and Ms. Skye in the kitchen for me?"

"Anything for you, Mr. Nick," Pearl replied happily. Seeing them had really made her night. "I'll be back in a jiffy! Oh, and I want to talk to you too, Mr. Justice!"

Apollo blushed slightly. "Apollo is fine, Pearl," he told her uneasily.

"All right!" Pearl squealed.

"Send Maya out too, while you're at it," Phoenix added.

Pearl gave another affirmative sound, and skipped off, followed by Ema and Sister Bikini. Phoenix turned to face his charges, crossing his arms over his chest and regarding them in a mixture of amazement, annoyance and a hint of affection. "What am I going to do with you two," he murmured to himself.

Maya, the woman they'd gone to the Steel Samurai convention to meet, came out to the main room moments later. "Ah! Our little vagabonds!" she said with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not here to help him gang up on you," she said with a wink. "I'm just here to make sure you guys don't gang up on him. He's a sensitive guy, you know!"

"Maya," Phoenix said, his quiet voice laced with something neither of them wanted to think about, but Maya seemed unperturbed. She laughed and gave him a shove, resulting in him stumbling to the side for a second. He regained his footing as he chuckled, keeping his eyes on the floor as he formulated what he wanted to say. "Let's make one thing crystal clear right now," he said, his voice still quiet, gentle, and void of anger. "You're going home tomorrow. That is a fact and not up for debate."

Apollo kept his eyes on the man's face, calm. Beside him, Trucy fidgeted, her head down, seeming to try to edge behind Apollo. "Are we clear?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes, sir," Apollo answered. Trucy nodded mutely.

"Good. Now I want to hear why on earth you came here, especially with an indirect order from me and a direct order from Prosecutor Gavin _not_ to."

"D-Daddy-" Trucy stuttered, and Apollo held out a hand. "Hold it, Trucy. Let me handle this."

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow, the absent smile on his face growing slightly. "After what Prosecutor Gavin told me," Apollo started, "did you really expect us to not do anything?"

"Of course not, and I'll be speaking with Gavin when I get home about telling you about this situation," Phoenix said, with a tilt of his head. "You're a defense attorney, not a detective, no matter how much investigation your job requires of you. That's why Gavin sent Ema to help me, Apollo. You've not only severely overstepped your bounds, you've dragged a civilian into it-"

"Other way around, Mr. Wright," Apollo interrupted flatly. "Trucy insisted that she was going to come here. I came with only because I couldn't force her not to come, to help ensure her safety."

At this, Phoenix's eyebrows furrowed and Maya murmured, "Nick, relax…"

"Is this true, Trucy?" he demanded.

The anger they both knew he was harboring was reflected in his voice now. It wasn't harsh, it wasn't over the top, and it wasn't scary. But it was now there. Apollo put a hand on Trucy's shoulder to stop her from answering. "Mr. Wright, she's _worried about you_ and has been since you left yesterday. I am, as well, to be honest. Don't tell me you'd not 'overstep your bounds' if our roles were reversed. You'd be all over those bounds and around the corner in a heartbeat."

"I'm also an adult," Phoenix replied softly.

He had more to say, but he was cut off as Apollo responded, "As am I. You left Trucy in my care, Mr. Wright. I did only what I thought was necessary to watch her as you intended, and Trucy's only doing what she thinks is necessary to ensure that her father doesn't disappear on her. It's not my fault she decided to do this, and it's not _her_ fault you told her little enough that she felt she had to. Irresponsible? Yes. She's sixteen. What's your excuse?"

Without another word, Phoenix turned away. "This conversation is on hold," he said firmly. "We'll continue it after we've eaten."

This was fine with Apollo; Trucy, however, protested, loudly. "Daddy, wait!"

"Trucy, stop!" Apollo hissed, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off. "Stop it!" she snapped. "I'm not a child! I'm tired of being treated like one!" Trucy walked right up to Phoenix, fuming. "No, Daddy, we're not going to continue this after we've eaten!"

"Trucy-"

"I'm almost sixteen years old! You didn't tell me my real father was dead, you didn't tell me my mother was alive, you didn't tell me I had a brother, and now you're running off to temples looking for missing friends and you've _not telling me_! This isn't fair!"

"I have my reasons," Phoenix said, the dreadful calm back in his voice. Maya said his name warningly, even as Apollo and Ema protested how blunt Trucy was being. "And I don't need to justify them to you."

"I'm sixteen-"

"Right. _Teen_. You're not an adult! Even if you were, I'd still not have to justify myself to you!"

"Is that it? You're hiding all of this stuff from me just because you can? That's your grand, super-understandable excuse-"

"I am your father, Trucy, and-"

"_You are not!_"

There was a collective gasp of horror from the onlookers, the sound of Phoenix fleeing the room rather quickly, and then Trucy didn't hear anything but her own racing heartbeat.

Maya was the one who broke the silence, finally. "I think we better continue this after dinner," she said quietly. And then she was gone, leaving Apollo, Trucy, Ema, and Pearl alone in uncomfortable silence.

* * *

Phoenix was making his way back to the room he'd been given, tears stinging his blue eyes as he went. She hadn't meant that. She couldn't have. He refused to believe that she meant that!

He was going too fast, not paying attention to where he was going, and only a few feet from his room, he plowed right into an acolyte. Phoenix gasped an apology, still not paying attention, and the tears he fought desperately suddenly dried at the response. "That is quite alright, good sir. You look distressed, after all."

Phoenix's head snapped up, eyes widening. "Morgan!"

The disgraced mystic smiled expansively at him. "You appear surprised, Mr. Wright. Did not my niece tell you that I am here?" Phoenix's lips pressed together in a tight, angry line, and his blue eyes flashed in anger. Morgan smirked; her mere presence was enough to put him off, it seemed. "That's alright, Mr. Wright. I understand. You clearly have much on your mind; I shall take my leave of you." She bowed deeply to him, sarcastically, before whirling and continuing her trek.

Behind her, Phoenix stared after her. He had the strangest, most unpleasant feeling of foreboding. And then he decided it. Trucy and Apollo were going home tomorrow, if he had to drag them both home himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Maya knocked on the door to Phoenix's room. He hadn't shown up for dinner, and no one else wanted to risk disturbing him, except for her aunt. Knowing well how Phoenix would react to that, Maya took the task on herself. It wasn't like she'd never bugged him when he was in a bad mood. She knew how to handle him. "Nick? You okay? I want to talk to you."

She was expecting him to decline, however politely or rudely he might. Of course, that wouldn't matter. It was her temple, and she got to go wherever she damn well pleased, so when he declined, she'd tell him to get himself decent, count to ten, and come in anyway. Maya was pleasantly surprised when he called back, "Yeah, come in!" Made her job as his best friend easier, and he even sounded like he wasn't in such bad shape after all.

He was sitting on his futon when she came into the room, a map of Hazakura spread out in front of him. "Hey, Maya," he greeted cheerfully. Too cheerfully. So much for him not really being in bad shape. "I got a map, but I don't remember where we saw Larry and Iris. I guess that's a side effect of me not really being supposed to see it. Do you remember?"

"Yes, of course I remember," she replied, sitting across from him. "You didn't come to dinner, Nick."

"I know. I wasn't hungry- here, I think." He took a pen in his hand and drew a circle around an area on the map. "That's about right, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think so. I really think you need to have that talk with Trucy and Apollo, Nick. Trucy feels absolutely horrific about what she said to you- she thinks you don't love her anymore."

"That's a shame. And false. The other one was really close to the first one, wasn't it?"

Instead of answering him, Maya put her hand on the map. "Phoenix! Listen to me!" she said urgently. "Your daughter is in pain! Don't you care?"

"Don't go there!" Phoenix snapped. "Of course I care. _Of course I care_, Maya, and how dare you imply that I don't! But they're here. With _Morgan_. By now she's realized who those two are to me, and that you care about them too! Do you have any idea what she's capable of?"

"Yes, Nick, I am very, very intimately familiar with what Morgan is capable of!" Maya snapped back at him. "And I'm on your side so stop treating me like the enemy!"

Her response to his outburst shocked Phoenix back to himself. "You're right. You're right, that was way out of line. I'm sorry. I just… you know they're not going to go home. Apollo's an adult and I can't just shove Trucy onto the train. I have no idea where Iris and Larry are or what's going on, and now Morgan's plotting something."

"She is?"

"Of course she is!"

"What is it? How'd you find out about it?"

"She talked to me."

"… she talked to you."

"Like that's not more than enough?" Phoenix retorted. "Considering what she's tried to do to you in the past, I'd think you'd be on my side."

Maya sighed, and put a hand to her forehead. In that moment, Phoenix didn't see his friend, a spritely young woman who always had to find the best in everyone. He saw a tired woman who was sick with worry and a burden of responsibility far too great for her shoulders. He reached out to her, at the same time that she finally responded. "You're right. You're right not to trust her. I don't trust her as far as I can throw her, either. But it's unreasonable to assume that she's plotting something nefarious simply because she spoke to you. What did she say, exactly?"

"She commented that I seemed surprised to see her and that you should've told me she was there," he said slowly, "that I seemed upset, and that she would leave me be."

"There's nothing threatening in that."

"It's Morgan."

"I know, Nick, I know. Of course it was threatening. And if you repeated that to, say… Ema, she'd stare at you blankly and ask how it was threatening. The best we can do is just be aware of it and work to hinder her. And not speaking to Trucy and Apollo isn't going to help with that at all."

Phoenix sighed heavily, a sigh that came up from the soles of his feet and reached the very ends of his coarse, spiky hair. "I suppose saying that I'm hoping that she focuses on me alone if I distance myself is ridiculous."

"Yes, it is. Like you said, she's figured out who they are and that you love them. They'll be targets for her nastiness, if she's going to be nasty, whether you're there for them or not. And if you're not there for them, it puts them at even more risk."

"You're right," Phoenix conceded miserably. "You're right, but what am I supposed to say to that? I'm _not_ her father."

Maya regarded him grimly, trying to feel out how she was to phrase what she meant. "You're not her biological father," she said finally. "But you will always be her Dad. There's nothing in the world that can take that away. You've raised her for half her life." When Phoenix kept his eyes on the map and didn't reply, she said, "Trucy told me what that was about, Nick. She understands that you were put in a no-win situation by her mother asking you not to tell them. Apollo understands that as well. She's a teenage girl. Give her a little leeway. Remember how I was at that age?"

Phoenix smiled in return. "No. We met when you were seventeen."

"Oh shush."

"Regardless, I'm not ready to talk to them," he said. "I've got Larry and Iris on my mind right now. I'll talk to them soon," he added quickly, when Maya opened her mouth to protest. "Just… I'll even talk to them tonight, if only to tell them that I'm not angry. But I'm just not ready to discuss this with them. I'm sorry, Maya. I just can't yet."

Maya put a hand to her mouth, staring at him hard. Phoenix shivered as he was very distinctly reminded of Mia in that moment; there hadn't been much of a resemblance when Maya was a teenager, but now that she was around the age Mia was when she died, the resemblance was striking. It wasn't the physical similarities, because there were still few of them. But how much alike they were in demeanor!

Finally, the Master said, "Okay, I think I get it. I think. Send them home tomorrow and after you've all had time to cool it down, talk it out then. And you've got a lot of talking to do, Nick. A lot."

"Yes, I know," he said with a sigh. "I know I'm not innocent in this. But directly disobeying me is-"

"Is what teenagers _do_, Nick. And you never really had the authority to tell Apollo to stay put, either. You're gonna have to just accept it for now."

"Right, I know. I'm just… I'm worried about them, Maya. Morgan can do whatever the hell she wants to me. I really don't care. But if they harm a hair on either of their heads, Maya, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

Phoenix was spinning his wheels now, going nowhere in his fretting. He was repeating the same arguments, over and over, and Maya had to stop it, otherwise he wouldn't be able to focus on anything at all. She leaned forward and took his face in her hands, forcing eye contact between them. "Nick. Listen to me," she said firmly. "This isn't helping anyone. Not Larry and Iris, not Trucy and Apollo, and certainly not you. Stop. You can't change that they're here. They're here. Tomorrow they're going home. There's no need to keep spinning your wheels like this. One thing at a time."

"You're right," Phoenix said finally. "She's not going to have a chance to hurt them, because they're going home. Now, Larry and Iris…"

"No," she cut him off. "Go talk to them. Tell them you're not angry."

He sighed. "Fine, we'll do this your way."

"Good man. Let's go have a chat, huh?" She extended a hand to him, and he took it. Together, they left Phoenix's room and headed for where Trucy and Ema were staying.

They found Apollo in the room as well. "Good, I need to speak with you, too," Phoenix said, when Apollo got up to leave. "Don't worry, I'll be quick. Guys, I'm not mad. I'm disappointed that you followed me here. I'm hurt by the things that were said." He looked pointedly at Trucy, who looked away, and Phoenix sighed a little sigh and kept talking. "But I'm not mad. That said, you have to go home first thing tomorrow. I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm trying to protect you."

Ema sighed and stood, a haggard and hesitant expression on her face. "Mr. Wright," she said, tired. "I disagree with sending them home."

"Oh, do you now? Care to explain why?"

"Because you can't force Apollo to leave," she replied, keeping her tone neutral and professional. "Feel free to attempt to convince him, but I've already tried. He doesn't want to leave. Considering the circumstances, as a cop, I'm not comfortable letting a minor make that trip alone. Apollo is the only one who can escort her."

Phoenix frowned sharply. "That's ridiculous. She's sixteen, not six."

"And the age of majority is eighteen, Mr. Wright," Ema replied evenly. "Unless you find an escort for her, I'm going to have to ask you to back down on this." As Phoenix opened his mouth to argue further, Ema held up a hand. "Mr. Wright, please," she said plaintively, the cool mask breaking. "She's safer here under our watch than she is making that trip alone."

"It's a two-hour train ride!"

"During which she will be alone!" Ema snapped back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but now that she's here, she stays."

"I'm her father," Phoenix said through gritted teeth, in a tone that dared any of them to contradict him.

No one did. "All the same, Mr. Wright, I'm the detective that's been assigned to this case. You're a civilian. You're going to have to obey me or _you_ can escort her home. Sorry. This is how it's going to be."

Phoenix's angry expression dissipated immediately, a reaction none of them expected. There was a universal sense of foreboding when it was replaced with a poker face. "I don't recall asking you to come along either, Ema."

"That's Detective Skye to you, Mr. Wright," she replied in the coldest, firmest voice she could muster.

"Very well. I'm here to investigate a disappearance. Since you're insisting Trucy stays, _you_ watch her."

As Phoenix turned to leave, Ema replied, "I hope you know you're being a jackass about all of this, Phoenix. I'm not going to babysit your kid. And what's more, you brought another minor girl along with you! If anyone's acting irresponsibly here, it's _you_!"

"I'm not answering to you, Detective Skye."

"Oh yes you are! I-"

"Detective!" Maya interjected. "Nick! Enough, both of you!" Uncomfortable silence descended on the room, and Maya put her hand to her forehead. "You know what, Nick, go take a nap or something."

"What-"

"_Go take a nap_," she snapped at him. Phoenix obeyed, not willing to go up against Maya. She watched him stalk away, shaking her head in frustration. This wasn't like him. He'd changed in the intervening years, she knew, but this was absurd. "I'm sorry, Detective. I don't know what bug's crawled up his backside, but he's not normally like that."

Ema shook her head. "It's fine. I get why he's so unhappy with the situation. He's gotten used to being in complete control."

"That's funny," Maya replied, grinning. "When we were together he was hardly ever in control of anything."

"Miss Maya," Apollo interjected. "Why is Mr. Wright so desperate to make us go away?"

"It's a long story, Apollo. And call me Maya."

Apollo grinned. "Ema just said we're not going anywhere. I'm sure we've got time to hear that story."

"I really want to know, too," Trucy said, the most clearly upset of them all. "Because it looks like he's going to abandon us."

Maya sighed. She didn't understand Trucy's logic, but she didn't need to. "Alright. Mind if I sit down?" As the three others in the room invited her to, she seated herself cross-legged on the edge of one of the futons. "It's like this: Hazakura Temple is currently housing someone who committed a number of very serious crimes against me. Nick's the one who took her down. He is convinced that she's responsible for our friends' disappearances and that she means us ill. I agree with him, actually. I don't like that any of you are here. But you're here."

Apollo and Trucy both noticed how Ema tensed a little bit, as did Maya. She knew something. "Ema?" Apollo prompted, the only one of their group who would. Trucy was too upset and Maya was too confused.

Ema shook her head. "I've got it on good authority that Morgan Fey is a threat to someone here. I can't say more than that."

"Is that why you're here?" Maya asked, tilting her head to one side. When Ema nodded, Maya put a hand to her mouth, thinking. "Nick says you were surprised when Apollo and Trucy got off the train with you," she said. "If you came of your own accord, then whoever Morgan's a threat to had to already be here, which means it's either me or Nick."

Ema frowned at her. "You weren't supposed to do that," she groused.

The Kurain Master clapped her hands and nodded. "Well, I did. Now that I've figured out that much you might as well tell me the rest!"

"Not a chance," Ema replied. "Sorry, I've got my orders. I'm not about to risk my job at this point. I'm here to try to keep Morgan under control. That's all I'm telling you and it's a lot more than I should."

"That's good enough," Maya said, nodding. "As for you two… look, I… I don't know what's going on with Nick. Our meeting at the convention was the first time I saw him in almost eight years, and we haven't had time to catch up, really. We went right from having absolutely no contact at all to the convention to chasing after our friends. He's told me next to nothing about his personal life. But I do know that he loves both of you very dearly. He's not about to abandon you. You're stuck with him, kids, that's just how it is, okay? So stop worrying. Once we find our friends, I'll make him sit down with you both so you can work this out."

Trucy nodded. "Alright. As long as you're absolutely sure…"

"I'm absolutely sure."

"To be quite honest," Apollo said uncomfortably, "I'm a little worried about the same thing. He finds out that Lamiroir is our birth mother and a little while later he drops us on her and goes off adventuring like a teenager in a computer game. I don't think this is a coincidence."

"That's too bad, because it is," Maya replied evenly. "There was absolutely no connection between him finding those files in Mr. Gavin's office and when he discovered who your birth mother is. He asked her to take care of you and Trucy because he knew he could trust her; if she wasn't there, or he didn't know her, he'd have asked, I don't know… Maybe Mr. Gavin himself. Or he'd left you on your own. Didn't he have you watching Trucy while he worked on the Jurist project, Apollo?"

"Yes, but…"

"But nothing." She looked from one of them to the other. "I know for a fact that you're both smarter than this. If it doesn't make sense, it probably isn't true. If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that your theory makes any sense at all I'll eat my Magatama right here."

Apollo and Trucy looked at each other, and then back to Maya. She was still gazing at them, absolutely sure of her stance, confident that she knew Phoenix well enough that she was right. Finally, Trucy took a deep breath. "Okay, Miss Maya… You're right. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'll believe in him… it shouldn't be that hard to do, after everything that's happened," she said, a weak, unsure smile on her lips.

"I'll try, too," Apollo said seriously. "I had to take a huge leap of faith after he told me that he'd forged evidence-"

Maya raised an eyebrow at that. "He told you what?"

He shrugged. "It turned out he only said that because he wasn't ready to explain what was going on. But, considering that his trial made me believe that he'd done it, I'm not sure I would have believed him at that point anyway. My point is that if I could believe in Mr. Wright and that he was doing the right thing then, I can believe it now. I have more reason to believe it now. He's got a long history or being innocent, after all…"

The young man's voice trailed off thoughtfully, and Maya suspected that he was in the midst of trying to convince himself of that statement. She felt bad for them both; their lives had been so badly upset, and things were just starting to get back to normal when this happened. "And he's innocent now," Maya said finally, "so get used to it. Seriously. As for our investigation, we're close. If everything goes well we'll be done tomorrow." She glanced over at Ema as the detective tensed; interesting. "When that's done, I'll make Nick talk to you two, I promise. In the meantime, consider yourselves honored guests. Feel free to explore the temple grounds; there's a lot of really interesting and beautiful sights to see. We're not letting you near our investigation, so you might as well just enjoy yourselves, okay?"

Maya didn't wait for them to respond as she smiled, stood up, and bowed slightly to them, wishing them a good night.

So Morgan was after either her or Nick, huh… Her cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by the serious veneer of the Master of Kurain. Well, Morgan wasn't going to get either of them. Pearly was Maya's chosen for successor at this point, and that likely wouldn't change unless she managed to make Nick fall for her and they had a kid. Then they had a fifty percent chance that kid would be male, and if it _was_ a girl, there was a chance she'd have no spiritual powers.

In other words, Pearl wasn't budging from her place in line anytime soon, and if that's what Morgan was on about, Maya could fix this by pointing out to her that Pearl had already been named successor and she knew it. If this was revenge for Nick putting her in jail, then there wasn't much Maya could do but tell her aunt that she was onto her tricks, but it still might be enough to make Morgan hesitate.

She passed the temple offices, where the business end of Hazakura was handled. She began to walk right past it, deep in thought, but something out of the corner of her eye, a flash of light and motion, caught her attention within the offices, and she stopped, peering in the window. It was dark; it was close to lights out, and the work necessary there was done.

So why was someone in there wearing all black with a flashlight- no, two someones! Maya scowled at the intrusion and swung the door open. Kurain had more than enough problems without someone snooping in there, and by how quickly that light went out, whoever they were knew damn well they weren't to be snooping around in there! "Alright, get out of there and explain yourselves!" she yelled into the room. "And if anything is missing, you better believe that I'll be holding you accountable for-_whoa!_"

The intruders obeyed, barreling past her and bolting down the hallway. "Wait!" she yelled after them, barely catching her balance. Maya took off after them, determined not to let them get away. "Wait! _Stop_! Someone, help! _Help_!"

Phoenix was the first one out of his chambers at Maya's call; when he saw her chasing the two intruders shrouded in black, he shouted his own call for help and joined the chase.

Ema was the next to respond, only moments after Phoenix did. One of the intruders gestured at the other and they came to a halt at the next junction in the hallways. "No!" one of them said plaintively, a woman. "That leads to a dead end!"

"But-!"

"Too late!" Ema cried, pouncing on the woman, who tumbled floor with a cry. Phoenix and Maya had both halted upon hearing their captives' voices, and both cried out for Ema to not hurt them. Ema, still wrapped up in the adrenaline of the chase, yanked off the woman's hood, and then gasped. "I-Iris!"

"Give it up, Larry," Phoenix said tiredly, and the other intruder pulled off his hood as well, grinning sheepishly.

Maya put her fingers to her temples, rubbing them gingerly. "You two better have a good explanation for this," she said, sounding just as weary.


End file.
